International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem 26th July 2024
Conservation of the mangrove ecosystem has been highlighted globally as a priority, and the UNESCO Conference held in 2015 aimed to improve awareness of the importance of the unique, special and threatened mangrove ecosystem and inspire solutions for its sustainable management, conservation and use. Accordingly, 26th of July was declared as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
In this year, the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation and other partners organized the National Event of Commemorating the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem on 26th July 2024 from 9.00 a.m. onwards at Pubudugama, Puttalam District. The main activity was initiation of restoring 15 ha of degraded mangrove ecosystems with science base mangrove restoration in an abandoned land.
Mr. Gunadasa Samarasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, Dr. R.D.S. Jayathunga, Additional Secretary (Environment Development), Ministry of Environment, Ms. Chandani Wilson, Director (Biodiversity), Ministry of Environment, High Commissioners, Ambassadors and Representatives of related countries, Officers from UN agencies, Officers from Forest Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka Police, Non-governmental Organizations, Officers from SLT Mobitel and Hayleys Advantis Limited, School children and community participated in the this National Event.
There were several activities associated with this National Event, such as handing over of SLT Mobitel scholarship for research on Blue Carbon Ecosystem to the winner, announcement of handing over of Letter of Agreement between Forest Department with SLT Mobitel and Hayleys Advantis Limited to carry out the restoration, announcement of the establishing of laboratory at the Pubudugama site by Hayleys Advantis Limited, awarding seed money for business startups organized by Department of Wildlife Conservation and Wild Life Nature Protection Society (WPNS) and product sale with product outlet from trained personnel organized by WNPS.Technical expertise for the scientific restoration was provided by Prof Sevvandi Jayakody of Wayamba University of Sri Lanka (Chairperson of National Expert Committee on Mangrove Conservation and sustainable use). Forest Department, Divisional Forest office – Puttallam, Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the Biodiversity Division of the Ministry of Environment organized the event and supported by the Sri Lanka Police (Vanathavilluva), Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka (WNPS), and Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change Division of the Foreign Ministry Sri Lanka, SLT Mobitel and Hayleys Advantis Limited.
