In a lecture held on April 17th, 2024, Professor Nishara Fernando, from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, engaged the Masters students of the Institute of Spatial and Regional Planning (IREUS) at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Tailored meticulously for students specializing in Urban Planning, Environmental Planning, Infrastructure Planning, and Architecture, the session offered insights into the pressing challenges of Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) in Sri Lanka. Dr. Marvin Ravan, the Coordinator of the Master’s programmes at IREUS, extended the invitation to Professor Fernando to deliver the lecture and over 30 international students took part in the lecture.
In the lecture Professor Fernando drew from his extensive research, particularly projects “Challenges of Municipal Solid Waste Management – Learning from Post-Crisis Governance Initiatives in South Asia (r4d)” and “Transformation of Waste Management Practices and Policies in South Asia during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts on Gender Equality and Sustainability.” (SPIRIT). Accordingly, the lecture touched upon various dimensions of MSWM in Sri Lanka including infrastructure, formal and informal sectors, workforce dynamics, social discourse, key challenges, and the evolving post-COVID-19 landscape. Beyond providing a comprehensive overview of MSWM in Sri Lanka, the lecture underscored the interconnectedness between waste management, gender equality, and sustainability—a nexus demanding thoughtful consideration in policy formulation and practice. Through the dissemination of SPIRIT project findings, valuable insights have been shared, empowering future planners to shape sustainable futures.
