Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka

Compassion for all beings, care for our shared home

Buddhism teaches the principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) and Metta (loving-kindness) towards every form of life. In Sri Lanka, where Vesak is celebrated with devotion and generosity, this message is especially meaningful at a time when forests, wildlife and natural habitats face increasing threats from pollution, climate change and human activities.

The Buddhist concept of interdependence is rooted in the teaching of Dependent Origination (Paṭicca Samuppāda). This teaching reminds us that harming the environment ultimately harms human well-being, while protecting the environment supports the well-being of all forms of life.

The environment is our shared home and simple actions such as reducing plastic waste, planting and protecting trees and caring for animals reflect the true spirit of Buddhist teachings in practice. These actions help preserve the environment and its biodiversity for future generations. By practicing compassion towards nature, we contribute not only to preserving biodiversity but also to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for future generations.

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Website: www.sdc.gov.lk
Data Portal: https://data.sdg.lk
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සදහම් සුවයෙන් සිත් නිවී සැනසෙන සුභ වෙසක් මංගල්‍යයක් වේවා...!!!

The Data Validation Workshop for the Governance, Justice and Human Rights Thematic Group was successfully held on 20th May 2026 in virtual format. The workshop focused on reviewing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators relevant to the thematic area, with discussions centered on improving the accuracy and effectiveness of SDG reporting mechanisms.

Key areas of discussion included revising existing indicators and targets and strengthening data collection and reporting processes. The workshop further provided an opportunity for participating agencies to identify potential indicators that their institutions could support, in order to strengthen national SDG reporting and enhance data availability across the thematic area.

The session was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, the Human Rights Commission, the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Police, the Department of Immigration and Emigration and the Judicial Service Commission. The representative of the Department of Census and Statistics also attended as an observer to provide technical assistance in validating the data.

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Website: www.sdc.gov.lk
Data Portal: https://data.sdg.lk
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

🌍 Opportunity: Sustainable Development Officer

Join a dynamic team working to advance sustainable Development, ensuring No One is Left Behind.

🌍 Opportunity for Current Public Sector Development Officers (Secondment Basis)

Join a dynamic team working to advance sustainable Development, ensuring No One is Left Behind.

The Data Validation Workshop for the Transport, Infrastructure, Energy, Housing and Urban Services Thematic Group was successfully conducted on 6 May 2026 in a virtual format. The session focused on reviewing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators relevant to the thematic area, particularly those under Goals 7, 9 and 11, with special emphasis on assessing current data availability, identifying gaps and inconsistencies in SDG reporting and highlighting priority areas for improvement.

Key discussions and recommendations included strengthening existing reporting mechanisms, identifying new proxy and supplementary indicators from ongoing programmes to better reflect actual SDG progress and revisiting targets to align SDG commitments with other national and international frameworks, such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The session was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, the Road Development Authority, the Department of Railways, the Urban Development Authority, the Condominium Management Authority, National Housing Development Authority, Urban Settlement Development Authority, Ceylon Electricity Board and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority. The representative of the Department of Census and Statistics also attended as an observer to provide technical assistance in validating the data.

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Website: www.sdc.gov.lk
Data Portal: https://data.sdg.lk
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

The Data Validation Workshop for the Fisheries & Coastal Resources Thematic Group was successfully conducted today in a virtual format, bringing together key stakeholders from relevant institutions.

The session focused on reviewing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators relevant to the thematic area, with particular emphasis on assessing current data availability, identifying gaps and inconsistencies in SDG reporting and highlighting priority areas for improvement.

Key discussions and recommendations included the identification of new indicators to strengthen SDG reporting, such as SDG 14.a.1 (proportion of total research budget allocated to marine technology research), as well as proxy indicators like the number of protected coastal wildlife habitats and the mapping of project-based datasets such as the Southern Region Ocean Health Index.

The discussion also emphasized the importance of breaking institutional silos in data reporting and exploring opportunities to develop composite indicators by integrating data from multiple institutions.

The session was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources, the Marine Environment Protection Authority and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency. The representative of the Department of Census and Statistics also attended as an observer to provide technical assistance in validating the data.

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Website: www.sdc.gov.lk
Data Portal: https://data.sdg.lk
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

World Earth Day 2026 🌍

World Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, 2026, marking the 56th anniversary of the global movement for environmental protection.

This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” highlights the role of individual and collective action in creating a sustainable future. Every small step taken in protecting our environment will transform the world some day.

Let’s act today for a greener tomorrow.

The Data Validation Workshop for the Food and Agriculture Thematic Group was successfully conducted yesterday in a virtual format, bringing together key stakeholders from relevant institutions. The session focused on reviewing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators related to food security, agricultural productivity, food loss and other critical areas within the sector.

The primary objective of the workshop was to assess the current status of data availability, identify existing gaps and inconsistencies in SDG reporting and highlight priority areas requiring improvement. Participants engaged in constructive discussions on strengthening the overall SDG monitoring and reporting framework, including the potential introduction of additional indicators where necessary.

Key discussion points and recommendations included the identification of proxy and supplementary indicators to better reflect sectoral progress where direct data is limited or unavailable, as well as the exploration of ongoing agriculture sector projects and programs such as the Agriculture Sector Modernization Project (ASMP) to derive relevant indicators for monitoring agricultural improvements. Participants also emphasized the need for additional indicators capturing animal health and biosecurity aspects, recognizing their influence on food security (SDG 2) and human health (SDG 3). Furthermore, discussions highlighted the importance of incorporating indicators related to agricultural insurance and subsidies, along with identifying other areas requiring improved data coverage, noting that several additional aspects were deliberated during the session.

Overall, the workshop provided a valuable platform for collaborative dialogue and technical validation, contributing to more robust and comprehensive SDG reporting in the food and agriculture sector. The session was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, Department of Animal Production and Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Development, Department of Export Agriculture, National Institute of Post -Harvest Management and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. The representative of the Department of Census and Statistics also attended as an observer to provide technical assistance in validating the data.
Visit us at:
Website: www.sdc.gov.lk
Data Portal: https://data.sdg.lk
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/