Jagath Gunawardana (Sinhala: ජගත් ගුණවර්ධන) is a lawyer, environmentalist and educator based in Sri Lanka.[1][2] Gunawardana is known for his advocacy in wildlife conservation[3] and environmental protection.[4]
Attorney-at-law Jagath Gunawardana | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961 |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Education | L.L.B Attorney PhD |
| Alma mater | Sri Lanka Law College |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Environmental activism, Volunteerism, Advocacy |
| Awards | Presidential Award for the Excellency in the Field of Environment Harithabhimani - Presidential Award for the Excellency in the Field of Wildlife |
| Honours | Honorary PhD University of Sri Jayewardenepura |
Early life and education
editGunawardana was born in 1961 in Sri Lanka. He completed a Diploma in Agriculture at the Aquinas University College[5] with first-class honours. Later, he went on to become a lawyer by graduating from the Sri Lankan Law College.
He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura for his contributions towards environmental protection.[6][7][8]
Activism and work
editIn 1986, he joined the Ceylon Bird Club and in 1987 he joined the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka.[9]
He is an advisor to the Environmental Foundation Limited and a Senior Instructor of the Young Zoologist Association[10] which he joined in 1978 where he volunteers to educate youth on environmental conservation.[11]
Gunawardana also serves as a member of the National Environment Council of Central Environmental Authority (CEA).[12][13]
His work involves environmental policy amendments,[14][15][16] awareness on the legal aspect of environmental issues[17][18][19][20] and environmental awareness to strengthen conservation.[21][22][23] [24]
Awards and recognition
editIn 2016, Gunawardana was awarded the Presidential Award for the Excellency in the Field of Environment[25] and honoured with the title of Harithabhimani, the Presidential Lifetime Award for Service to Wildlife Conservation.[26]
In honour of his conservation work, a newly discovered frog species in highlands was named after him as Pseudophilautus jagathgunawardanai or Jagath Gunawardana's shrub frog.[27]
References
edit- ^ "පරිසරවේදී නීතිඥ ජගත් ගුණවර්ධන Archives". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst | Breaking News and Latest News provider | Political | Sports | International | Business. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ "Renowned environmentalist Jagath Gunawardana awarded Honorary PhD". Lanka Sara. 2020-11-21. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Killing of Leopard: A non-bailable offence- Jagath". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ "BBC Sinhala - The tree is free : Vandana Shiva". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ "Jagath Gunawardana, a life dedicated to protect environment". Sunday Observer. 2020-12-12. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- ^ "Environmentalist J. Gunawardana gets Honorary Doctorate". Ground News. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ "පරිසරවේදී නීතීඥ ජගත් ගුණවර්ධන ට ආචාර්ය උපාධියක්". NewsWire Sinhala. 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ "නීතිඥ ජගත් ගුණවර්ධන මහතාට ශ්රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්ව විද්යාලයෙන් ගෞරව ආචාර්ය උපාධියක් - srihanda.lk | Sri Handa News Official Web Site|Sri Lanka News|News Sri Lanka|Online Sinhala News". Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ "Glossy Ibis breeds in SL after 148 years". Sunday Observer. 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Young Zoologists' Association opposes Fisheries Ministry move: 'Mangrove ecosystems must be protected'". Sunday Observer. 2019-08-31. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- ^ Justin, Rose Stephanie (2020-10-02). "Human-Elephant Conflict Soars in Sri Lanka; Green Activists Blame Habitat Loss". Zenger News. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "An Accolade Long Overdue". CeylonToday. Retrieved 2020-12-20.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Sri Lanka : President emphasizes the need to strengthen activities of Environmental Council". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "The Second Coming". CeylonToday. Retrieved 2021-03-04.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "JAGATH GUNAWARDANA Environment lawyer - PressReader". Retrieved 2021-01-14 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Marking Their Territory". CeylonToday. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
- ^ "ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ජාතික වනෝද්යාන තුළ ගව ගැටලුව විසඳීමට අකුල් හෙළන්නේ කවුද ?". BBC News සිංහල (in Sinhala). 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
- ^ "How Predator Became Prey". CeylonToday. Retrieved 2021-01-25.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The unseen side of activism". www.themorning.lk. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ "The Macro Problems of Microbeads In Sri Lankan Seas". roar.media. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ "On The Way Out: Sri Lanka's Ten Critically Endangered Birds". roar.media. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ "A Protected Nature Reserve At Risk". roar.media. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ "Wildlife Poaching In Sri Lanka: It Is As Ugly As It Sounds". roar.media. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ "The 'Roots' Of The Sea: Protecting The Mangroves Of Our Island's Coasts". roar.media. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
- ^ "Presidential Environment Awards 2016". www.earthlanka.net. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "As birds winter in Sri Lanka, one enthusiast makes sure their memory stays". Mongabay Environmental News. 2019-10-25. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ Pskhun (2013-03-13). "Species New to Science: [Herpetology • 2013] Eight new species of Pseudophilautus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Sripada World Heritage Site (Peak Wilderness), a local amphibian hotspot in Sri Lanka". Species New to Science. Retrieved 2021-01-14.