National Trust Lecture on "Navigating conservation priorities  of Kala Oya basin"

“Navigating conservation priorities  of Kala Oya basin: a wish list” is the title of this month’s National Trust lecture by Dr. Sevvandi Jayakody. The lecture will be held at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday, August 31.

The Kala Oya basin has three important protected areas namely, Kahalle-Pallekele Sanctuary, Wilpattu National Park and Bar Reef Sanctuary.

The river itself that connects the sub basins is affected by multiple threats including disruption to flow, invasive species, sand extraction and pollution. Land grab, hunting, weak governance and lack of institutional cooperation are common issues in the protected areas. However, amidst these issues, ecosystem approach to management with river continuum taken as the backbone of the basin, offers hope for bringing in ecological and human wellbeing to Kala Oya basin.

The wish list includes setting aside “left aside for restoration zones” in sea, protecting both natural and man-made biodiversity outside protected areas and changing the way we look at rivers; from a mere flow of water from mountains to sea to a living, breathing system!

Dr. Sevvandi Jayakody is a Senior Lecturer at the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka and a Honorary Director of Environmental Foundation Limited. She started her career as an Assistant Director of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. A recipient of Commonwealth of the UK Endeavour of Australia and IDRC of Canada post-doctoral awards, she obtained her PhD from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.