Sri Lanka

Participatory Coastal Zone Restoration in the Eastern Province of Post-Tsunami Sri Lanka

Context: In Sri Lanka alone, the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 caused the death of about 31,000 people. Coastal infrastructure was also severely affected, including roads, fishing ports, tourist sites and telecommunications.

The assessment of environmental damage along the east coast identified a number of impacts, including severe mechanical damage to the coral reefs and the destruction of mangroves, palm plantations and associated biodiversity.

Global benefits: Restoration of ecosystems damaged by the tsunami and conservation of the integrity and functions of the natural ecosystem resources of the coast of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.

Strategy: Support the implementation of the Post-Tsunami Coastal Rehabilitation and Resource Management Programme and capitalize on the high profile currently given to ecological functions in order to ensure their integration into the national planning process.

IFAD-GEF synergies: IFAD assistance in medium-term post-tsunami recovery and rehabilitation in Sri Lanka was crystallized in the Post-Tsunami Livelihoods Support and Partnership Programme and in the Post-Tsunami Coastal Rehabilitation and Resource Management Programme, targeting the most isolated and threatened communities.

GEF funding complements the highly concessional package of IFAD loans by providing support for the incremental costs associated with interventions that address ecosystem degradation and its underlying causes.

Source: IFAD