Marking a landmark achievement, Sri Lanka has been declared a UN World Restoration Flagship, in recognition of the island nation’s vital efforts to rebuild and restore its mangrove ecosystems.

Through the World Restoration Flagship Award, the UN is honouring the planet’s most ambitious, successful, and inspiring examples of large-scale ecosystem restoration.

With only seven years left in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, seven new winners including Sri Lanka were announced for their large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration, embodying the 10 Restoration Principles of the UN Decade.

The prestigious recognition signifies Sri Lanka’s effective use of the UN’s Principles for Ecosystem Restoration and highlights globally significant best practices and methodologies that can potentially serve as a framework for future success across the world.

The aftermath of the 2004 tsunami and its destructive impacts on Sri Lanka’s coastline drew attention to the importance of mangroves as a coastal protector. Unfortunately, the continued destruction of mangroves, and the lack of a formal mechanism impeded effective conservation and restoration.

Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthen its coastal ecosystems dates back to 2015 and beyond, and was accomplished by the establishment of expert panels, task forces, policies, action plans and restoration guidelines that represent top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top coalitions for action and conservation.

The nation’s revolutionary approach towards mangrove restoration is primarily underpinned by science-driven methodologies, with a focus on reviving ecosystem services. This two-pronged approach is designed to restore the balance of the entire ecosystem and its connectivity.

The involvement of youth as researchers and future restoration leaders, and the mobilisation of multiple stakeholder groups spanning the Government, NGOs, the private sector, academia and the community have culminated in a new paradigm of restoration that is built for the future.

The UN Flagship Restoration Award is a timely recognition of Sri Lanka’s viable, lasting solutions towards the restoration of these essential ecosystems which support countless lives and livelihoods across the island.

Sri Lanka will receive the award at the United Nations Environmental Assembly which is scheduled to be in Nairobi on 27 February 2024.