Nations Trust WNPS Monthly Lecture …. https://island.lk/wetlands-of-sri-lanka/ **
The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) markeded the World Wetlands Month with a timely and insightful dual lecture featuring two of Sri Lanka’s leading authorities on wetland conservation. The February monthly lecture brought together Dr. Priyanie Amerasinghe Emeritus Scientist, Human and Environmental Health, International Water Management Institute and Prof. Uthpala A. Jayawardena, Head/ Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Sri Lankato present complementary perspectives on the importance of protecting and revitalising Sri Lanka’s wetlands.
Wetlands are among the planet’s most valuable ecosystems, providing essential services such as flood regulation, water purification, climate moderation and biodiversity conservation. Yet across Sri Lanka, these life-support systems are under growing pressure from rapid development, pollution and a changing climate. The WNPS lecture aims to highlight both the challenges and opportunities involved in securing a sustainable future for these critical landscapes.
Opening the evening, Dr. Priyanie Amerasinghe will present on The Role of Indigenous Wisdom and Traditional Practices in the Wise Use of Wetlands in Sri Lanka. Her lecture will explore Sri Lanka’s long cultural relationship with wetlands, shaped over centuries by agricultural traditions, spiritual values and community stewardship.
Kumana Wewa pic by Prof Enoka Kudavidanage
Wetland Image by Prof Deepthi Wickramasinghe
Drawing on the legacy of Sri Lanka’s ancient hydraulic civilisation, Dr. Amerasinghe will demonstrate how traditional tank cascade systems represented sophisticated ecological engineering. Built on the enduring “tank–paddy field–temple” model, these systems successfully integrated water management, biodiversity conservation and social cooperation. Conservation, she will explain, was embedded in everyday life and landscape design, ensuring the sustainable use of wetlands for food security, medicine and human wellbeing.
Dr Priyanie Amerasinghe
Her presentation will invite reflection on how these time-tested approaches can inform modern conservation efforts and inspire renewed respect for the Rights of Nature movement. By reconnecting with indigenous knowledge, Sri Lanka can rediscover practical pathways for the wise and equitable use of wetlands in the present day.
The second lecture of the evening [was by] delivered by Prof. Uthpala A. Jayawardena on Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Wetlands in a Changing Socio-Environmental Landscape. She will examine the complex pressures currently threatening wetlands and the urgent need for coordinated action.
Prof Uthpala A. Jayawardena
Prof. Jayawardena will outline how traditional community-based management systems that once valued wetlands have gradually weakened in the face of rapid socio-economic transformation. Today, wetlands are frequently misunderstood as idle or unproductive lands, leading to their conversion for infrastructure, housing and commercial development.
She will discuss how poor waste management, industrial pollution and the spread of invasive species have further degraded wetland ecosystems. Weak enforcement of conservation laws and fragmented institutional responsibility have compounded these problems, while climate change is introducing new risks through extreme weather events, shifting rainfall patterns and sea-level rise.
Her lecture will emphasise the importance of a holistic response—one that strengthens governance, promotes science-based restoration and integrates wetlands into national climate adaptation and urban planning strategies. Community engagement, education and long-term ecological monitoring, she will argue, are essential to ensuring that wetlands continue to deliver vital ecosystem services.
Together, the two presentations will offer a rich and balanced dialogue—linking Sri Lanka’s ancient wisdom with modern scientific understanding. They will demonstrate that successful wetland conservation depends on blending policy innovation with cultural values that recognise the true worth of these ecosystems.
As Sri Lanka confronts increasing environmental uncertainty, protecting wetlands is not a luxury but a necessity. Healthy wetlands safeguard communities from floods, sustain agriculture and fisheries, support unique wildlife and strengthen national resilience to climate change.
The Nations Trust WNPS lecture seeks to deepen public appreciation of these benefits and encourage collective responsibility for their protection. Open to the public, the event will be of interest to conservationists, students, policymakers and all those committed to Sri Lanka’s natural heritage.
Through informed dialogue and shared action, Sri Lanka can ensure that its wetlands remain vibrant, productive and resilient for generations to come.
The Lecture is open all, entrance free.
6 pm, 19th February, Jasmine Hall, BMICH
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