IWMI, Kuliyapitiya Urban Council and Wayamba University signs MoU to conduct collaborative research on co-composting, value additions and pelletizing

IWMI, the Kuliyapitiya Urban Council (KUC) and the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka signed an MoU to strengthen their existing close partnership. The overall goal of this MoU is to introduce and test strategies that enable compost enrichment and value addition through pelletizing at KUC, while increasing the sustainability of its existing composting project. The following key activity has been identified by all three parties – to promote viable business models for co-composting and pellets that utilize organic residues and fecal sludge. KUC has already established a municipal composting and fecal sludge treatment plant which will support this initiative. IWMI and Wayaba University are involved in related research activities and will provide knowledge and expertise to support the further development of the project.

L to R: Legal officer of KUC, Dr. J. Weerakkody, Senior Lecturer (WU), Mr. D. Jayawardana Secretary Sud. (KUC), Miriam and Sudharshana

Under this MoU, IWMI, via the BMZ-funded research project “Research and capacity building for inter-sectorial private sector engagement for soil rehabilitation” provided a pelletizer machine to the KUC. Further establishment of the pelletizer at the KUC premises and the production of co-composted pellets, capacity building and transfer of technology to local stakeholders, analyzing economic data for fertilizer production and demonstration of a viable business model that can be replicated and up-scaled are planned under this MoU.

Miriam Otoo, Research Group Leader – RRR, signed the MoU behalf of IWMI, Mr. Darmasiri Jayawardana, Secretary to the Council, signed on behalf of the Kuliyapitiya Urban Council and Dr. Weerakoddy, Senior Lecturer represented the Wayamba University, with the signing ceremony held at KUC. Sud Fernando and Josiane Nikiema also participated in the ceremony from IWMI. After the signing ceremony, the project team paid a site visit to the compost plant.

For more information please contact Sud: s.c.fernando@cgiar.org.

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