Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

op@usm.edu.ph www.usm.edu.ph (064) 572-2138

A CRITIQUE PAPER for COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OUTSIDE THE

PHILIPPINES in RD 725 (Comparative Community Development),
prepared and submitted by MARVIN C. REYES
under the professorship of DR. JEANNIE U. DUKA
USM Graduate School, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Cotabato.
First Semester, 2022-2023.

Project Name: North East Province Coastal Community Development

Country / Economy: Sri Lanka

INTRODUCTION

The "North East Province Coastal Community Development" project was

created in accordance with the government's plan to fight poverty. In the three districts
of Trincomalee, Batticoloa, and Ampara in eastern Sri Lanka, it seeks to improve lives
and promote the establishment of sustainable natural resource management systems
in order to support sustainable long-term economic growth in vulnerable coastal
communities.

SUMMARY

The Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations placed Sri Lanka at
84th place out of 174 nations in 2000, with a score of 0.73. Income and consumption have
a considerably greater impact on Sri Lankan poverty than does access to essential
services. Poverty levels are greatly influenced by income and consumption, and it is most
prevalent in rural areas.

The North and East have been left out of official national survey for the past 17
years due to the conflict. However, data at the district level indicate that the region lacks
basic services and has lost both social capital and productive assets. After the start of
2002 and the proclamation of a cease-fire, economic activity is gradually increasing.

The region's poverty is classified as conflict-related, with military-induced

limitations on the practice of traditional livelihoods including farming and fishing, as well
as relocation, loss of possessions, bodily harm, and loss of family members. The ability
to deal with psychological stress, shock, and war-related trauma had become a daily
reality, with hopelessness and dissatisfaction becoming a natural part of existence. The
people prioritized short-term survival throughout the battle instead of any type of
sustainable management of natural resources.

More than one-third of the population of the three eastern districts in 396 GN
divisions, which include more than 800 communities, is located in the coastal GN
divisions, where there are 545,473 inhabitants overall. There are around 1,450 people
living in each GN division. At the district level, significant racial compositional shifts have
taken place. Between 1981 and 1999, the percentage of Muslims in Trincomalee district
climbed by 10%, whereas that of Sinhalese increased in Ampara district and fell in the
two northernmost districts. In contrast to the two other districts, Batticaloa saw an increase
in the proportion of Tamils. Communities still live in different villages or parts of villages
at the GN divisional level, demonstrating the persistence of ethnic segregation. The
segregation of children from different communities at a young age is effectively supported
by the fact that primary education is taught either in Tamil or in Sinhalese. It follows that
project operations in at-risk coastal areas will focus primarily on serving the needs and
challenges of Muslims and Tamils.

Ethnic segregation has caused significant divisions and resulted in the

establishment of distinct municipal administrations and marketplaces. Communities that
formerly coexisted and shared resources for survival are now divided and distrustful of
one another.

The socioeconomic status and extent of poverty in marine fishing communities

depend on ownership of fishing assets. Owners of large sea canoes had comparably
more secure incomes than laborers and owners of fiberglass boats, despite high
indebtedness due to capital costs of nets, boats, and engines, and are a relatively
well-off group. Lagoon fisher men and women are among the poorest income groups
because of generally poor catch sizes. Mixed farming and fishing practices were used in
some regions throughout the conflict because mining operations, army camps, and
fighting between the LTTE and the armed forces prevented farmers from accessing their
fields while fishermen had to deal with fishing limitations.

CRITIQUES, RECOMMENDATIONS, SUGGESTIONS

Poverty is a major issue in the North East Province coastal community in Sri Lanka,
especially due to the conflict, which has resulted in loss of livelihoods and economic
instability. Conflicts and violence have affected the lives of locals, impeding the project's
advancement and the community's overall growth.

The Government of Sri Lanka, in an agreement with the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) created a program to address conflict-related poverty in the region. Both parties
conducted a Poverty and Social Analysis in compliance to the requirement for the
development fund approval of the project.

Due to the unstable situation, obtaining statistical data on poverty and livelihoods
in the North and East were difficult. But the PPTA (Project Preparatory Technical
Assistance) used other data to fill the information gap. Evaluations and assessments
were conducted during an ongoing conflict, and a decision or approval was made and
confirmed. Revalidation occurs during a ceasefire situation for various reasons, such as
to ensure accuracy and reliability of previous evaluations, to account for any changes or
developments in the conflict, and to update information for future decision-making.

My recommendation is that the following steps be taken in order to

successfully complete a project with limited information available: (1) Set priorities and
concentrate on the most urgent issues; (2) Develop partnerships with organizations that
have access to more extensive data and information; (3) Use innovative and cost-effective
methods, such as community-based data collection, to gather data and information; (4)
Engage stakeholders and local communities to get more people involved in the project;
(5) Implement project designs that are flexible and responsive to changing conditions; (6)
Regularly assess your work and make changes in response to criticism and
new information; and (7) Seek technical assistance and support from experts to address
data and information gaps.

By taking these steps, it is possible to make a project successful with limited

development funds and vital information and to achieve its goals and objectives.

Submitted by: Submitted to:

MARVIN C. REYES JEANNIE U. DUKA, Ph.D.

Student Professor