Jagath Gunawardana Explained

Honorific Prefix:Attorney-at-law
Jagath Gunawardana
Birth Date: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

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]

Early life and education

Gunawardana 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

In 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

In 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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: පරිසරවේදී නීතිඥ ජගත් ගුණවර්ධන Archives. 2021-01-26. Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst Breaking News and Latest News provider Political Sports International Business. en.
  2. Web site: 2020-11-21. Renowned environmentalist Jagath Gunawardana awarded Honorary PhD. 2021-01-14. Lanka Sara. en-US.
  3. Web site: Killing of Leopard: A non-bailable offence- Jagath. 2021-01-15. www.dailymirror.lk. English.
  4. Web site: BBC Sinhala - The tree is free : Vandana Shiva. 2021-01-15. www.bbc.com.
  5. Web site: 2020-12-12. Jagath Gunawardana, a life dedicated to protect environment. 2020-12-20. Sunday Observer. en.
  6. Web site: Environmentalist J. Gunawardana gets Honorary Doctorate. 2021-01-15. Ground News. en.
  7. Web site: 2020-11-22. පරිසරවේදී නීතීඥ ජගත් ගුණවර්ධන ට ආචාර්ය උපාධියක්. 2021-01-26. NewsWire Sinhala. en-US.
  8. Web site: නීතිඥ ජගත් ගුණවර්ධන මහතාට ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයෙන් ගෞරව ආචාර්ය උපාධියක් - srihanda.lk Sri Handa News Official Web SiteSri Lanka NewsNews Sri LankaOnline Sinhala News. 2021-01-26. en-US.
  9. Web site: 2020-05-29. Glossy Ibis breeds in SL after 148 years. 2021-01-14. Sunday Observer. en.
  10. Web site: 2019-08-31. Young Zoologists' Association opposes Fisheries Ministry move: 'Mangrove ecosystems must be protected'. 2020-12-20. Sunday Observer. en.
  11. Web site: Justin. Rose Stephanie. 2020-10-02. Human-Elephant Conflict Soars in Sri Lanka; Green Activists Blame Habitat Loss. 2021-01-14. Zenger News. en-US.
  12. Web site: An Accolade Long Overdue. 2020-12-20. CeylonToday. en.
  13. Web site: Sri Lanka : President emphasizes the need to strengthen activities of Environmental Council. 2021-01-14. www.colombopage.com.
  14. Web site: The Second Coming. 2021-03-04. CeylonToday. en.
  15. Web site: JAGATH GUNAWARDANA Environment lawyer - PressReader. 2021-01-14. PressReader.
  16. Web site: Marking Their Territory. 2021-03-04. CeylonToday. en. 2021-04-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20210419154855/https://ceylontoday.lk/news/marking-their-territory. dead.
  17. Web site: 2020-12-14. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජාතික වනෝද්‍යාන තුළ ගව ගැටලුව විසඳීමට අකුල් හෙළන්නේ කවුද ?. 2021-01-26. BBC News සිංහල. si.
  18. Web site: How Predator Became Prey. 2021-01-25. CeylonToday. en.
  19. Web site: The unseen side of activism. 2021-01-25. www.themorning.lk.
  20. Web site: The Macro Problems of Microbeads In Sri Lankan Seas. 2021-01-25. roar.media. en.
  21. Web site: On The Way Out: Sri Lanka's Ten Critically Endangered Birds. 2021-01-25. roar.media. en.
  22. Web site: A Protected Nature Reserve At Risk. 2021-01-25. roar.media. en.
  23. Web site: Wildlife Poaching In Sri Lanka: It Is As Ugly As It Sounds. 2021-01-25. roar.media. en.
  24. Web site: The 'Roots' Of The Sea: Protecting The Mangroves Of Our Island's Coasts. 2021-01-25. roar.media. en.
  25. Web site: Presidential Environment Awards 2016. 2021-01-14. www.earthlanka.net.
  26. Web site: 2019-10-25. As birds winter in Sri Lanka, one enthusiast makes sure their memory stays. 2021-01-14. Mongabay Environmental News. en-US.
  27. Web site: 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]. 2021-01-14. Species New to Science.

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