Thevuni Halangode is a Project Coordination Assistant (Maritime Ecological Disaster) with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka. As a UN Volunteer serving since July 2021 with the Climate and Environment Team, Thevuni has been supporting the maritime disaster assistance project and Climate Promise Phase II.
As a part of the maritime disaster assistance project, Thevuni contributed to supporting one hundred vulnerable fisheries households affected by the MV X-Press disaster through a cash-for-work programme to clean up the Negombo lagoon.
Until the successful completion of the project on 31 January 2022, Thevuni facilitated coordination between government institutions and project implementation partners. She monitoring project progress, reviewing and editing reports and communications materials from the implementing partners.
Thevuni has also been working on increasing communications and exposure on UNDP projects which build resilience and sustainability through climate action and biodiversity conservation, such as the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) and Early Warning and Forecasting Systems.
She is currently supporting the Stockholm+50 national consultations, which complement the Climate Promise Phase II project activities. These are gathering insights from a wide array of stakeholders, amplifying their voices to build a shared vision to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity for all.
Thevuni shared her ideas to continue protecting our planet.
At individual level, it is important to be aware of our own ecological footprint and proactively look to reduce it. In our daily routines, we should rethink the way we reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible, while, on a broader level, we must promote the sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to harmonize our interactions with nature. --Thevuni Halangode, UN Volunteer Coordination Assistant with UNDP, Sri Lanka
"I would like to express my warm appreciation to the young, dynamic professionals of UN Volunteers who support the important UNDP/ Climate & Environment Team’s collaborative work on Climate Action and Green Development, says Sugandhi Samarasinghe, UNDP Project Manager. "My special gratitude goes to the bright and talented young leader Thevuni Halangode, who enthusiastically contributed through her hard work and commitment to the Maritime Disaster Assistance Project and Climate Promise Phase II project. She actively engages in synergizing the contribution of youth teams and other stakeholders on the Stockholm +50 consultation process."
The UNDP Country Office in Sri Lanka is truly grateful to UNV for its role towards climate action through the mission and with the spirit of volunteerism. --Sugandhi Samarasinghe, Project Manager cum Technical Coordinator, UNDP Sri Lanka