Restore healthy ecosystem by managing biodiversity and productivity of natural systems
 
     
 
            Situation
 
 
 
The goods and services provided by the coastal ecosystems are threatened by intensifying human-induced hazards and natural hazards. The defensive functions of natural coastal ecosystems (sand rich broad beaches, tall sand dunes, thick forest strands and broad mangrove patches) warrant serious consideration in the wake of the tsunami disaster. In Galle the tsunami affected terrestrial coastal ecosystem has been further threatened by post – tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction activities and leave coastal communities even more vulnerable to recurrent extreme weather events and worsens the living conditions of coastal communities.
  
 
 
 
 
            Intervention
 
 
 
Improve the community understanding on coastal issues and promote stewardship specially among women, to protect and maintain the coastal belt vegetation cover as a natural barrier and source of livelihood.
  
 
     
 
            Activities
 
 
    1. Created Coastal Ecosystem Restoration Societies in Rathgama, Gintota, Dadalla, Dodanduwa, Mihiripenna and Unawattuna Grama Niladari Divisions
    2. Carried out regular awareness programme titled “aware your ecosystem” emphasizing the importance of a healthy coastal ecosystem and stewardship among communities via formal (seminars, workshops) and informal (notice boards, slogans) education.
    3. Prepared and distributed information materials which promote public’s understanding on coastal ecosystems and stewardship.
    4. Developed marketing skills and linkages among the society members.
      With community participation established indigenous coastal vegetation plant nursery at Rathgama.
      With community participation carried out ground preparation, nursery development, planting and assist native vegetation regeneration where ever appropriate.
    5. Established suitable indigenous plants species in the vegetation development area.
 
     
 
            Output
 
 
  1. The established Coastal Ecosystem Restoration Societies in Rathgama, Gintota, Dadalla, Dodanduwa, Mihiripenna and Unawattuna Grama Niladari Divisions have gardening tools to continue the restoration work.
  2. The established plant nursery, which supply the plants for further restoration.

112000 m2 coastal land extent have been restored with Cocus nucifera, Barrington astatica, Thespesta populea, Terminalia catappa, and Pandanus spp.

175 households have received coconut seedlings and planted in their home garden to gain economic and environmental benefits in future informative bill boards about coastal ecosystem restoration work mounted at key places.
  3.
The project has developed the skills among the community which are needed to establish, manage and maintain the shoreline vegetation cover in their lands as well as initiated the process of aftercare management of shoreline vegetation cover with the contribution of labour in a voluntary fashion. Eventually the project has improved the community local capacity to carryout conservation efforts in future.
 
 
 
  Knowledge and technology sharing on small scale income generation activities with the local communities Introduction of micro finance schemes for grass root level organizations  
   
     
 
  Participatory conservation of Koskele Forest and Development of Sustainable livelihoods
 
 
Koskele is a protective plantation forest located in the Intermediate Zone (IMZ) of North Western Province of Sri Lanka. The forest plantation establishment aimed to replace forest loss through uncontrolled chena cultivation. The most common species are Mohogany (Swietenia mahagoni), Teak(Tectona grandis), Eucalyptus(Eucalyptus cinerea) and miscellaneous hardwood trees. Taunga system was adopted to establish Jak (Artocarpus heterophyllus) under planted mahogany.
  
     
  Awareness campaigns on horticultural practices for the local community. Introduction of micro financing for the Plant Nursery holders Shramadana campaign at Kumaragala medicinal plant conservation project
 
       
            Problems and threats  
   
The forest is periodically in danger faced with acute livelihood crisis, caused timber smuggling, deteriorating law enforcement, agricultural encroachment, unmanaged exploitation for firewood and other basic needs, shifting cultivation and overdependence of the local communities on non timber forest products.
Because of the poor economic conditions of the people, forest laws and traditional methods of forest regeneration proved ineffective. Against this background, an intervention has been designed with three criteria, namely ecological viability, economic feasibility, and social desirability (social and political acceptability)
    
       
             Intervention  
    Awareness- raising workshops conducted to understand the links between poverty and environmental issues.

Reintroduction of timber, fuel wood and fruit species in the degraded places such as Teak, Mahogany, Jak, Mango, Woodapple, Neem & to restore forest habitat.

Farmer to farmer training and technology dissemination for improved agricultural productivity and to decrease pre- and post harvest losses.

Joint enterprise training on pottery,carpentry, joinery, craft making and silviculture for the youth.

Train women in small scale traditional food preparation (Kavum, cookies, sweets items), improve the local chicken, goat, sheep, cow and duck production and management of small business enterprises.

Planting materials of horticultural crops, milking cows and utensils for small scale food preparations were provided to the local community.

Opened retail outlets at the highway for the sale of their produces and processed products. 		   
       
 
            Output
   
 
  1. The local communities assist the Forest Department (FD) in managing and protecting degraded forests through a committee of villagers called the FPCs (Forest Protection Committee)
  2.
The beneficiaries’ (FPCs) requirements such as fuel wood, leaf manure, fodder, and NTFPs (non-timber forest products) are met from the forest 8% of the earnings from the sale of NTFPs, remit for village development fund as well as for the help of FD in raising plantations, and in protecting and regenerating the forest .
  3.
Initiation of community development activities and livelihood improvement due to additional earnings from off farm activities and women empowerment.
  4. Formation of SHGs (self-help groups) has perhaps been the most innovative contribution of this project.
  5.
The SHGs are also involved in setting up nurseries for medicinal and forest tree species, bee-keeping, and bamboo-based handicrafts
   
       
 
Over the past three years, interventions by the FWC and FD – leading to a balance of the ecological, social, and economic needs of the area – have given concrete shape to the concept of sustainable plantation forest development.
    
       
 
  Wildlife tracker training programme in Yala National Park Donating educational materials to the trackers
 
   
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