Projects

Mangroves thrive along the border between land and sea and are a first line of defense for many coastlines, reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves and tides.

The ecosystem’s protective function was dramatically highlighted by the tsunami in 2004, which killed more than 30,000 people in Sri Lanka.

Parts of the coastline were vulnerable to the tsunami because about one-third of Sri Lanka’s mangroves had been cleared, mainly to make way for shrimp ponds and salt pans.

But there is still time to restore what we’ve lost.

Through recent efforts Sri Lanka has already restored 500 hectares of mangrove since 2015.

With additional assistance, the country hopes it can still realize its 2030 goal of restoring 10,000 hectares of mangroves – more than 50 per cent of its previous mangrove cover.