Sri Lanka has officially entered into a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to initiate a five-year conservation initiative, which has a financial backing of $4.507 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
This project is designed to enhance sustainable economic outcomes by protecting vital biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Eastern and Southern coastal areas of Sri Lanka.
It specifically aims to bolster biodiversity conservation, enhance ecosystem resilience, and create nature-based economic opportunities in the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa, and Hambantota.
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The primary areas of focus for the initiative include:
- Enhancing governance and institutional capabilities for effective landscape and seascape management
- Securing better financing for solutions rooted in nature
- Implementing ecosystem-based management practices in coastal regions
- Promoting awareness, knowledge sharing, and gender inclusion
- Improving monitoring and evaluation to ensure sustainable impacts
The UNDP stated, “This project will utilize a community-centered, multi-sectoral strategy to protect Sri Lanka’s terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems while fostering climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities.”
The signing of the agreement took place between K R Uduwawala, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, and Azusa Kubota, the UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka. The event was also attended by Mohan Heenatigala, Director of Biodiversity at the Ministry of Environment, along with other UNDP officials. (Colombo/Sep7/2026)
