Mangroves for Life, for Humanity, a collaboration for the future

In the shade of a Cluster Fig (Attikka) tree and on the banks of the Kelani river, my colleagues on the Board of Biodiversity Sri Lanka and the BSL team, gathered yesterday with the initiating partners of the 'Mangroves for Life, for Humanity' collaboration. The purpose was?to formalise a partnership to protect mangroves in Sri Lanka.

Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) was first established as the Sri Lanka Business & Biodiversity Platform in 2012, by initiating partners, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and Dilmah Conservation. The intention was to form and support a coalition of businesses, and deliver positive sustainability initiatives to conserve and restore biodiversity in collaboration with the Government of Sri Lanka. The first part of our journey was arduous with the lack of interest and awareness of the need to conserve and restore biodiversity and the associated responsibility of business.

Exactly 5 years since BSL formalised its first collaborative restoration project in the Kanneliya Conservation Forest, the initiating partners of the Mangroves for Life project confirmed their commitment to the BSL initiative to protect mangroves, involve communities, and demonstrate the value of mangroves. Much like the fruit of the Attikka tree, so abundant above us as we signed the agreements, mangroves are beneficial for human health and welfare. They sustain biodiversity, purify water and absorb pollutants, they support livelihoods for coastal communities, protect us from storms, flooding, and stabilise riverbanks and coasts against erosion.

Following the welcome by my colleagues Shiranee Yasaratne, who has - with expertise and commitment - guided Biodiversity Sri Lanka since its formative years, Gayan Samarakone of the Sri Lanka Climate Fund explained the significance of the project and BSL programme Manager Roshan Salinda explained the project. I was honoured to be joined by Subra Eassuwaren, on behalf of the Board of BSL, in formalising the agreements with the initiating partners.

As we confront the health, social and environmental challenges of our time, collaboration is key in innovating the methods and technologies we need to adapt, build resilience in a changing climate while embedding livelihoods, food security, health & welfare into that process.

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