Grade 6 Life skills : THE REGION WE LIVE IN

Dear Children, this article is a summary of the administrative units of Sri Lanka and the resources on which the economic affairs of a region are based. As Sri Lankans, we all know that we are proud citizens of a wonderful country that is rich in a lot of resources. I am quite sure that the area you live in also includes so many gifted aspects. First of all, let us get a clear idea on the administrative units of Sri Lanka and it will help you to learn about the location of your area.

 

The Grama Niladhari’s Division is the smallest administrative unit in Sri Lanka and this division consists of a collection of a few villages. The Grama Niladhari is in charge of this division and he maintains liaison between the villagers and the relevant information. The Divisional secretariat consists of many Grama Niladhari’s Divisions ((Example: Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, Akurana) and the Divisional Secretariat is in-charge of this unit. The Divisional Secretariat performs official activities involving the Grama Niladhari’s Divisions under him while coordinating the needful with the government. Several Divisional Secretariats form a District which is headed by the respective District Secretary. In Sri Lanka, there are twenty five administrative districts (Example: Colombo, Kandy). A number of Districts combine together to form a Province and there are nine such provinces in Sri Lanka (Example: Western Province, Central Province).

 

Our country is gifted with a wide range of resources. You can identify the resources in your province after learning about them. We will be focusing on physical and human resources.

 

Physical resources can be discussed under natural resources and the resources that are not natural; artificial resources. The natural resources include sunlight, clean water, fresh air, soil, hills, beaches, forests and etc. The artificial resources are man-made. Examples for these resources include buildings, machines, vehicles and etc. Some of these resources are found only in certain areas. (Examples: Waterfalls, Mountains, Forests and etc.). Physical resources have many uses such as supply of power, transportation, power to operate industries and generate energy, development of tourism and etc. However, we can also observe that these physical resources fulfill the needs of people, the society and the economy. The physical resources must be conserved and today, we can observe that human activities have led to the destruction of these valuable resources. There are many procedures to conserve these resources. It is our prime duty to conserve the forests by growing more trees in the area. The resources must be used carefully and we must reduce the wastage. We can avoid polluting the soil and non-biodegradable matter must not be dumped to the soil. The mines and quarries must be filled and as resources are limited, we can adapt to new ways of using alternate material that will replace the limited natural resources.

 

Human resources include the physical and intellectual abilities of individuals like farmers, doctors, engineers, teachers, carpenters and etc. These arise when the hidden abilities of man are improved and used in the real world. The quality of these resources can be improved further through educational programs, courses and proper training. Once an individual is trained well and acquires professionalism, he or she will be economically strong which will lead to the development of the country.

 

The economic affairs in a region take place in the form of agricultural affairs, industrial affairs and services. People are engaged in several occupations that come under these economic affairs and they are mostly based on the physical and human resources in the area.

 

Thus, it is important to be aware of the location of your region and the resources that are found in it. It is our prime duty to take immediate steps to safeguard these resources for the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Mekhala Egodawele

Photo source : Internet