In the recent past, the Colombo, Mannar and Knuckles landscapes have been exposed to a number of environmental stresses, degrading the quality of their ecosystem services. These include rampant deforestation, de-gazette of protected areas, blossoming energy generation projects and other forms of land degradation, all as a result of inadequate environmental surveillance and governance. Most of the time, these localized issues come to the knowledge of environmental organizations, in Colombo and elsewhere, at rather a late stage, when most of the damage has been done. In some of the cases, the logistics of travelling to distant places results in inaction or inadequate action in the battle for environmental justice.
The Small Grants Programme (SGP), understanding the importance of addressing this burgeoning issue, have been carrying out a systematic approach to conserve valuable ecosystems in these landscapes, over the last few years, by developing landscape strategies and building the capacity of local environmental organizations. The SGP has developed a network of environmental organizations working in these three areas and it is of vital importance to build the capacity of these local NGOs to raise funds for conservation and to be better equipped with knowledge necessary to manage their own, local environment.
As such, reviving and empowering local organizations with the necessary environmental understanding is crucial in identifying and addressing these environmentally debilitating issues in time, before the damage becomes irreversible.