February 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka. UN-Habitat, promoting environmentally friendly construction practices through its post-conflict recovery programme, has loaned two block making machines for women’s community groups to manufacture Compressed Stabilised Earth Blocks (CSEB) in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. This activity will support environmentally friendly and cost-effective housing and infrastructure construction in the conflict affected districts ...

December 2014, Killinochchi District:The Thiruvaiyaru community centre in Kilinochchi District was reconstructed in early 2014 with funding from the Government of Japan. To facilitate the smooth functioning of this important community building, two companies, SEIWA Electric Mfg of Japan and Tos Lanka Co. (Pvt) Ltd have gifted a self-lighting solar lamp to light the exterior ...

Twenty pre-schools in Mullaitive are off to a good start with interventions for capacity building by Save the Children Japan (SCJ), supported by JICA funding. ...

October 2014, Killinochchi, Sri Lanka: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) celebrated United Nations day in Killinochchi with a training programme on mud concrete technology, a new, environmentally friendly construction method introduced by a team from University of Moratuwa. The training programme was aimed at UN-Habitat technical staff and local masons to introduce this ...

October 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka: Government officials from national institutions in disaster management, housing and construction, representatives of finance institutions, donors and development practitioners participated in a two day workshop entitled ‘Designing & Financing Incremental Housing’ held in Colombo. Organized by UN-Habitat at the request of the European Union Delegation in Sri Lanka, the forum ...

6 October 2014,  Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka’s first National Housing Policy was launched by the President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse, at the World Habitat Day celebrations in Colombo. Over 5,000 people from the city’s underserved settlements including school children participated at the celebrations. This event marked the culmination of a series ...

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day. The purpose of World Habitat Day is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world that we all ...

22 September 2014,  Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Government of Sri Lanka and its lead agencies in human settlements development have launched a series of celebrations to commemorate World Habitat Day 2014. With a focus on engaging children, youth, women and self-employed, the events will commence on the 20th of September and culminate on the World ...

The Kolamba Lamai (Colombo Children) Art Competition- 2014 was commenced at the Vihara Maha Devi Park under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning (20 September). This art competition was organized by the Urban Settlements Development Authority under the Ministry of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities for the children who live in ...

Holcim (Lanka) a cement manufacturer in Sri Lanka, announced that it will be supporting the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) with its housing programme for conflict affected families in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. The programme, which focuses primarily on improving construction skills of housing beneficiaries and local artisans, will span a period ...

16 September 2014,  Colombo, Sri Lanka: Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary, Ministry of Defence and Urban Development officially declared open a workshop on ‘Urban Resilience’ organised jointly by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The Secretary in his address highlighted the increasing importance of Urban Resilience, which enables cities ...