1My Journey in Japan
Mohan Amarasiri
School of Allied Health Sciences
Kitasato University
2021/08/10

Laboratory of Environmental Hygiene

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Basic facts about Sri Lanka•
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•••
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Area 65,610 km2
Population 21.9 million
Population density 334/km2
Multi-religious, multi-ethnic country
Nominal GDP/capita 3,830 USD
Gini coefficient 39.8 (Medium)
HDI 0.72 (High)https://www.worldometers.info/maps/sri-lanka-political-map/
Wikipedia

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Set up of Sri Lankan water supply system
Institution

Coverage (%)

National Water Supply andDrainage Board (NWSDB)

around 40% of pipedservices

Community Water Supplies(4,400 CWSs)

11% of the population withmainly piped water supply

Local Authorities

5%

Estates2%

Self-supply (protected dug wellsand rainwater harvesting systems)

35%• Safely managed status is only achieved by NWSDB managed schemes because
its water is tested and data are available.
Comprehensive Investment & Master Plan for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector, 2019

Sewerage systems in Sri Lanka• Most households in Sri Lanka have a proper
toilet. 5-7 % use shared or public toilets,
have a direct-drop pit latrine, or doesn’t
have a fixed toilet.
• Safely managed sanitation (sewerageservices) is available for 3% of thepopulation or when a household uses atwo-pit pour-flush latrine with some 3 years
storage capacity for one pit.

Comprehensive Investment & Master Plan for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector, 2019http://www.waterboard.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75&Itemid=274&lang=en

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Have you seen this video?

Video: YouTube5

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Academic timeline

University ofPeradeniya
Sri Lanka
2007-2012

Hokkaido UniversityJapan
2012-2017

BSc(Eng) (2007-2011) • MEng (2012-2014)• PhD (2014-2017)• Diploma in Sustainability
Sciences• Diploma in Health,
Science, and Environment• Intern, National Institute ofInfectious Diseases

Tohoku UniversityJapan2017-2020• Assistant Professor• Visiting Researcher• Ehime University• Technical
University-Lisbon

Kitasato UniversityJapan
2020• Junior AssociateProfessor

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Why Japan and why Hokkaido University?

Prof. Daisuke Sano
Dr. Lashitha Rathnayaka
Dr. Wasala Bandara

Prof. Hisashi SatohWater Quality Control Engineering Lab, Hokkaido University

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Environmental Water Quality Engineering Lab, Tohoku University
First graduatesfrom Sano Lab

A visit fromDr. Yasuhiro Asada

A visit fromDr. Miyu Fuzawa

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Laboratory of Environmental Hygiene, Kitasato University1011Awards and recognitions

WET 2013 Excellent presentation award

えんじにあRing (2017/4)
IWA photo: Zsolt Marton-109

IWA-HRWM 2019 Excellent
poster award

JSWE-ORGANO award(2017/9)

English Engineering Education Program (e3)

12I also worked as an executive
committee member of the student
organization and joined many task
groupsDiploma in Sustainability Sciences

13• Interaction with students fromother faculties of HokkaidoUniversity• Simultaneous classrooms inuniversities from 5 countries• Extensive field-work• Networking

Sri Lankan Students Association, Hokkaido

As Sri Lankan students of Hokkaido University, we
conducted annual charity events to raise funds anddevelop library facilities in Sri Lankan schools

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Great opportunities

A visit by Prof. Mary Estes(2016/5)

ISFEV conference in Japan(2016/9)

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Great opportunities

Member of the rapporteur teamIWA-World Water Congress
Tokyo-2018

Guest lecturer
Science Dialogue Program 2018
Fukushima Science High School17Great opportunities

English speaking assistant for
Hokkaido University undergraduates

Sinhala Language class forJapanese Language teachers

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Being a visiting researcher

Technical University
Lisbon (2019/9)

Ehime University(2019/7)

Challenges• Japanese Language• Arrived in Japan with zero speaking and comprehension skills• Took Japanese language classes at Hokkaido University for 3 years• Currently, undergraduate lectures are conducted in Japanese• Climatic conditions• Sapporo → Sendai → Sagamihara, summers are getting hotter• Less community interactions• Far from home and nervous about family (COVID-19)

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The way forward• Collaborative research can find solutions for commonenvironmental problems• Our laboratory currently collaborates with Nepal, and Ghana• Trying to establish collaborative research with Sri Lanka• Continuous professional development• Conducting multi-disciplinary research to address current and emerging
environmental problems• Contributing to the process of research knowledge dissemination

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Acknowledgements• Prof. Satoshi Okabe• Prof. Daisuke Sano
• Prof. Kazunari Sei• Prof. Hisashi Satoh• Prof. Masaaki Kitajima• Prof. Takashi Furukawa• All the friends and studentsmohan@kitasato-u.ac.jp@MohanAmarasiri

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