The entirety of the project formulation was carried out based on the community participatory process and the long term and short term economic, social and environmental benefits will be trickle down to the communities. The proposed interventions were identified with the community members and potential cost and benefits were extensively discussed The final selection of the interventions was carried out with the agreement of the community members and arrangements will be made to implement community involved process and impact monitoring mechanism.. In addition, all the decisions pertaining to implementation and monitoring of the project activities will be taken with the relevant stakeholders. It is envisage ensuring effective community involvement especially in implementing Reef cleaning, Coastal vegetation restoration and Mangrove restoration programmes
Capacity - Building Component
The planning, implementation and monitoring process of the proposed programme has been designed mainly focusing the active stakeholder participation in the project area. In this respect, fisheries cooperative societies such as ?Semuthu? and?St. Sebastian? and other CBO?s such as ?Sea Star Diving Society? and Community Surveillance Committee. To ensure effective implementation, the capacities of the above CBO?s will be enhanced by providing knowledge, skills and training for the members. The main areas of capacity building will be confined to bio-diversity conservation, alternative livelihoods, process monitoring, community surveillance, critical habitat conservation and management.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The poorest sector of the coastal communities residing in the villages located close proximity to the Bar Reef being exposed to a more vulnerable situation due to marine resources depletion and the economic shocks such as increasing fuel prices being experienced. In this situation, to increase the household income they tend to extract more and more marine resources from the vital reef communities. This situation has created negative impacts on the coastal bio-diversity and the sustainability of the livelihoods. This situation has been aggravated due lack of land based opportunities available and the unfavourable conditions exist. In view of the above it is planned to introduce alternative household income generating activities which are low cost and suitable for the existing environmental conditions. In this context, to reduce the poverty levels and to enhance the household incomes it is proposed to introduce seaweed farming and popularize processed seaweeds for human consumption and introduce household level grey water management system and rain water harvesting system to strengthen home gardening.
Policy Impact
The proposed interventions are in compliance with the policy objectives formulated through ?Coastal Zone Management Plan of Sri Lanka? as well as policy objectives spelt out in the ?Mangroves for the future programme - IUCN? and the ?Regional Fisheries Livelihood Programme ? FAO benign implemented in Sri Lanka. The outcome of the planned activities under the proposed programme will positively contributed to achieve the above policy objectives. In addition the proposed interventions will create positive impact on the policies spelt out in the Ten year Fisheries Development Plan of the MFAR on reducing pressure on the near shore coastal fishery.
Gender Focus
To ensure gender equity, couple of proposed interventions has been designed to increase female member participation. In this regard, the proposed interventions such as introduction of household level grey water management system and rain water harvesting system to strengthen the home gardening has been proposed esensure the gender balance. In addition arrangements have been made to increase the women participation in planning and implementation process.
Inovative Financial Mechanisms
To ensure the financial sustainability and effectiveness of the proposed interventions, innovative financial mechanisms are considered. An innovative financial mechanism should include implementing new way of mobilizing and channeling financial resources. This could be through the incorporation of new elements, a combination of existing elements or a significant change or departure from the traditional way of doing things. To ensure the financial sustainability, the following routes will be followed in adopting innovative financial mechanisms;
? Identify the most cost-effective course of actions in implementing interventions
? Mobilize an adequate institutional network to implement and monitor activities
? Address institutional capacity issues
? Accelerate the achievement of goals
? Maintain transparency and accountability
? Encourage private community partnerships
? Strengthen market linkages
? Promote community savings and establishment of community revolving funds.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Under the public education and awareness component of the proposed programme, it is envisaged to produce documentary film on the Bar Reef and the related coastal ecosystems, printing of leaflet, establishment of sign boards and conducting community workshops. These activities are mainly proposed to impart the knowledge on the coastal bio-diversity and importance of the conservation of Bar reef and related ecosystem among the fisher community and their by change the attitudes and behaviors leading to conservation. With the influx of local and foreign visitors into the Bar reef marine sanctuary area, it is necessary to create awareness among them on the importance of environmental services being provided by the sensitive coastal habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds and sand dunes to maintain not only the local marine environment but also the global environment.
