IWMI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Balangoda Urban Council (BUC) of Sri Lanka to strengthen the existing partnership between the two institutes for the last five years. The MoU on ‘Collaboration on the technical and commercial piloting study of fecal sludge compost and co-compost pellets’, was signed on November 30, 2017. DG Claudia Sadoff signed the MoU on behalf of IWMI and Nimal Premathilake signed on behalf of the Balangoda Urban Council.
IWMI presented a pelletizing machine to the Council in 2016. As of today, the BUC has built up a successful business model and plans to incorporate the pelletizing technology into their existing business model and ongoing training programme at their training center in Balangoda. Under the new MoU, IWMI will provide knowledge and expertise to support specific further project development to the BUC
Miriam Otoo, Sudarshana Fernando and Nilanthi Jayathilake from our RRR team participated in the signing from IWMI’s side. On this occasion, Sudarshana explained IWMI’s long-term relationship with the Council and noted that the global attention received by the Balangoda compost plant has been as a result of IWMI’s contribution, in terms of supporting the Council with improving their technical efficiency, business model and introduction of new technologies. Nimal from the Council extended the council’s gratitude to IWMI for the valued contributions as a technical partner. He further explicitly mentioned the possibility of IWMI’s involvement in introducing the pelletizing technology for the proposed 300-ton/day compost plant in Kerawalapitiya. Claudia applauded this successful long-term partnership and shared her excitement and interest in the uptake of technology IWMI has introduced to the country.
For more information please contact Sudarshana: s.c.fernando@cgiar.org.
Photo (L to R): Sudarshana, Claudia, Nimal, Miriram and Nilanthi.
