We are pleased to announce that SETIN has signed a contract with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and has officially started a nine-month assignment to support the preparation of a GEF-funded project in the Central Highlands Landscape of Sri Lanka (CHLSL), a UNESCO World Heritage area:
“Inclusive management of the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka for conservation of globally significant biodiversity and ecological integrity”.
The project aims to strengthen community and ecosystem resilience through Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), underpinned by inclusive and gender-responsive approaches throughout the project preparation process.
The project is developed in the context of the CHLSL, a globally significant landscape that provides critical ecosystem services such as freshwater supply, hydropower and climate regulation, while facing escalating pressures from habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, over-tourism and climate change, compounded by socio-economic challenges and siloed management approaches.
The overarching objective is to enhance resilience in CHLSL through inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive landscape co-management. The specific targets of the project are to expand and strengthen the Protected and Conserved Areas (PCA) network, restore ecological connectivity and institutionalize mechanisms for collaborative and evidence-based conservation among public, private and community actors.
The assignment will be implemented by SETIN’s team, composed of Giacomo Cozzolino, Daniel Bazzucchi, and Ana Catarina Ferreira Mota. SETIN looks forward to supporting IUCN in preparing a high-quality GEF project that advances NbS and strengthens ecosystem and community resilience in Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands.
