Profile

In Sri Lanka, most of the professionals’ groups have established their own professional Institutes and Learned Societies to uphold and improve their own professions. Environmental professionals render an important service in all sectors including State, Private, NGO and University. However, due to the nature of the subject itself, those engaged in the profession of ‘environmental management’, ‘environmental protection’ or ‘sustainable development’ do not belong to one such conventional ‘profession’. They come from a diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, and often work in teams comprising natural and social scientists, engineers, architects, educationists, lawyers, health scientists and medical doctors etc. The lack of a professional body which is open to such a diversity of professional fields was felt to be a major drawback in the development of the environmental profession in Sri Lanka. The present initiative is expected to remedy this situation, by bringing together suitably qualified professionals of the different specializations, who are working towards the common goal of environmental management and sustainable development.

The Institute of Environmental Professionals – Sri Lanka is the umbrella organisation of environmental professionals in the country. It was established in 2006 through a Cabinet Paper (No. 06/1365/221/026 of 12-7-2006) with the blessings of the then Minister of Environment, Mr Maithreepala Sirisena.

The Institute will continue to work with all the stakeholders including private sector, government sector and non government sector towards achieving excellence in environmental conservation for sustainable development. It hopes to continue to provide a help desk to the industry in matters related to the environment. This is facilitated by having a multidisciplinary and diverse membership and database on all matters of environment. It also wish to continue with the empowerment on environmental issues for both the novice and the practitioner   of environment so that he/she can be better equipped to face the challenges of today. Above all it will continue its quest for promoting sustainable & environmental friendly lifestyles through which our carbon footprint is made small and contentment is made large.

Functions

A) Foster communication between scientists and policy makers to help balance social,

    economic and environmental goals

B) Develop and adhere to a code of ethics for the environmental profession;

c) identify assess and enhance current knowledge of environmental issues of national and

     global interest;

d) Encourage and promote peer-reviewed interdisciplinary research to increase scientific understanding of environmental issues

e) Link with electronic online libraries and data bases to disseminate environmental

     information and interact with national and international institutes;

f) Promote education and training of scientists and other professionals interested in

   working on environmental issues and facilitate the conduct of environmental related

   education and training programmes;

g) Promote informed advocacy in environmental affairs;

h) Provide an enabling platform to discuss environment and development related issues;

i) Encourage environmental publications;

j) Enhance education and awareness on environmental issues of national and global

Interest

IEPSL is open and inclusive. Membership is open to all individuals interested in promoting the quality of their profession. Members are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds who work in an increasingly broad range of fields, disciplines and locations, in the private sector, industry, universities, NGOs, the Government and the statutory agencies. This unique mix of members is bound together by a code of conduct which brings an ethical dimension to their work.