IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Improving Natural Resource Governance for Rural Poverty Reduction is a global project implemented by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with the support of Governance and Transparency Fund of UK Aid from the Department for International Development.  

The overall goal of this 5-year programme is contributing to improve natural resource governance for rural poverty reduction and its purpose is to improve livelihood security in selected countries through better environmental governance, including fair and equitable access to natural resources, new benefit sharing arrangements, and more participative and transparent decision making. It will do this by working with partners in Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and South America. The project is implemented in countries namely, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Benin, Lebanon, Syria, South Africa, Mozambique, Drylands of Africa (Kenya, Tunisia, Mali-Burkina Faso trans border area), Bolivia and Peru. The outcomes expected are improvements in institutions, in policies and in decision-making mechanisms as they relate to natural resources

Sri Lanka Component:

The project for Improving Natural Resource Governance for the rural poor in Sri Lanka is a component of the global project focuses on three main elements:

(a)     Improving governance for managing natural resources

(b)     Empowering civil society to reduce poverty and better manage natural resources

(c)     Capacity building for civil society to effectively manage natural resources

Implementation Sites

The project concentrates on four pilot sites addressing environmental governance issues in different contexts. Pilot sites are;

1.       Five villages situated in the close proximity to the Peak wilderness forest, situated in the Ratnapura

 Administrative District.

2.       The Nilgala Forest Reserve, a savanna type of a forest situated in the Monaragala Administrative District.

3.       The mangrove areas adjacent to the Puttalam Lagoon situated in the North western coastal belt in the administrative district of Puttalam.

4.       Periyakalapu lagoon in Tirukkovil in Ampara District. Main focus is on environmental justice and livelihood issues in coastal ecosystems

Implementation Modalities

Partnership with civil society organizations, community and the national, provincial and local government organizations and authorities involve in development and governance of natural resources in the project areas is a key to the implementation of this project.

The Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) and Centre for Environmental justice (CEJ) are the key partners to provide technical support to implement the project.