EU-COLIBRI

Category:

COLIBRI is a two-year project funded by the European Union, which seeks to protect, preserve and restore biodiversity clusters in Sri Lanka, namely the Knuckles Conservation Forest (KCF), the Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary (BRMS) and the Kayankerni Marine Sanctuary (KMS). The project will safeguard these fragile forest and coral reef ecosystems by promoting inclusive, data driven management of natural resources and more sustainable livelihood practices.As a part of the COLIBRI project Environmental Foundation Limited (EFL) seeks to support the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) in implementing the ecological, operational, governance and socioeconomic management of the Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary (BRMS) in order to achieve the vision set out in the Management Plan.
 
Key Activities of the Project include: 
  • Conducting research to monitor marine biodiversity, indicators of change, and ecosystem health.
  • Impacting socio-economic status of communities via mutually agreed initiatives.
  • Piloting joint surveillance compliance monitoring and management mechanisms for BRMS.
  • Increasing the awareness and positive attitudes towards BRMS
  • Protecting the reefs through “left aside for restoration zones.”

 

Recent news

Socio-economic survey

The socioeconomic survey began in Kalpitiya on December 2021, and was completed June 2022. The administration of questionnaires was completed after the target of 280 surveys was attained.

The survey’s main goal was to gather socioeconomic data from the project area’s Bar Reef-dependent community in order to establish a baseline and aid in the identification of critical interventions, prospective alternate sources of income, value additions to current sources of income, and sustainable methods that could be introduced to the community.

The survey focused on 7 key community groups :

  • Commercial Fisheries
  • Other tourism services
  • Recreational diving and snorkelling
  • Whale and dolphin watching
  • Ornamental species and other collections from the sea
  • Aquaculture
  • Not related to BRMS( government officers, school teachers, businesses etc.. )
Ecological survey

Under COLIBRI diving equipment was handed over to the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

An ecological survey was carried out in the Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary, to assess the health of the reef.

The reef expert identified new areas for conservation, and findings from the survey will be utilised to formulate data-informed management decisions that will enable actions for the protection of the coral reefs found in the BRMS.

Repository

The online repository – consisting of literature relevant to the BRMS, which is one of the biggest marine sanctuaries in Sri Lanka, is fully developed and was officially launched online via social media. Through it, we hope to encourage everyone to learn about and safeguard our precious oceans.

New publications, as well as data/reports generated through the project, will be periodically added to the database.

Link: Repository – Environment Foundation (Guarantee) Limited. (efl.lk)