Project 001.3
Rebuilding a mangrove nursery and information centre destroyed in the Boxing Day tsunami
What will my donation go towards?
Rebuilding a mangrove nursery and information centre destroyed in the Boxing Day tsunami.
Why did all the mangroves disappear?
The mangroves were destroyed by the army throughout the 1980s due to the civil conflict. Replanting commenced in early 2000 as peace began to take hold throughout the eastern provinces of Sri Lanka but has been halted since the tsunami.
Why should mangroves be replanted?
Mangroves are essential to the recycling of nutrients into the lagoon systems. These nutrients support algal growth, which the fish eat and the fishermen then catch and sell to the local market.
Who will manage and operate the nursery?
The project will work with the local Fishermen’s Cooperative Society in Thirukovil and will be administered by the staff of the Sewalanka Foundation – www.sewalanka.org
Will the nursery be financially viable?
Yes, the nursery will offer the seedlings to other mangrove reforestation programmes being conducted by Sewalanka Foundation in other coastal lagoons and by the Asian Development Bank’s North East Coast Community Development Project.