Siyabalagaswewa Forest restoration marks first Nature-Based Pilot in Dry Zone

The Siyabalagaswewa Forest in the Thuppitiyawa GN Division, Mahawilachchiya, Anuradhapura, has become the site of Sri Lanka’s first pilot for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in the Dry Zone. The initiative, a collaboration between HSBC Sri Lanka, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Department of Forest Conservation, was launched under Project CORE: Climate-Smart Opportunities through Restoration and Education.

A key milestone in the project has been the installation of boundary posts around the restored degraded forest, signalling the start of the legal gazetting process by the Forest Department to declare the area a Reserved Forest. The restoration covers 35 hectares of degraded forest and an additional 100 hectares of adjoining community land through regenerative agriculture.

Since 2021, Project CORE has piloted FLR interventions across the Kimbulwewa Cascade landscape, aiming to improve biodiversity, climate resilience, livelihoods, and carbon sequestration in one of the country’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

The project established a community-based plant nursery, now managed by the Forest Department, and developed food forest gardens benefiting 26 families. Seventy-three households adopted live fencing to reduce human-elephant conflict. Integrated silvopastoral systems supported dairy and poultry production, while other interventions included soil conservation, agro-enterprise development, and community engagement through the formation of ‘Diriya Shakthi.’

Youth involvement included awareness programmes and the creation of a butterfly garden at Ashoka Vidyalaya. Government institutions such as the Mahawilachchiya Divisional Secretariat and the Department of Animal Production and Health also supported community-based conservation.

HSBC Sri Lanka contributed over 2,000 volunteer hours to support tree planting, school activities, and recognition events. CEO Mark Surgenor said the project highlighted the strength of Public-Private-People partnerships in achieving sustainable environmental outcomes.

Aligned with IUCN Global Standards for NbS and Sri Lanka’s 30x30 conservation goals, the project offers a scalable model for combining biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation with community resilience.