Environmental policy and administrative management

The project focuses on two locations: Murutoluwa and Wathtawa in the Naula division of the Matale District, which is a steep hilly area. These areas suffer from land degradation due to inappropriate land use and high intensity rainfalls which deplete the soil of its nutrients. The target beneficiaries are 150 families from the area and the sustainability of their home gardens and other cultivated lands are to be improved by the project. The project will use both socio-cultural and ecological methods. Training has been provided in soil conservation techniques and sustainable farming methods. In order to minimize land degradation, the project will focus on using sloping agricultural land technology (SALT), which uses live fences composed of Gliricidia trees. Once the Gliricidia fences are planted, they will act as a barrier, preventing nutrients from seeping away from the soil as well as acting as a natural fertilizer. It is expected that as the project progresses, land degradation will be mitigated leading to more bountiful crops and therefore a better livelihood for the beneficiaries involved.

Sri lanka