As an island, Sri Lanka’s 2 million ha of forests are rich in endemic species of flora and fauna.  Sri Lanka’s forests, uniquely among its land-use sectors, can make a significant contribution to both adaptation and mitigation. Its forests are particularly vulnerable as roads and other infrastructure expand to boost national development and economic growth since the country only recently ended from a debilitating 30-year internal conflict.  Moreover, ‘forest analogues’, home garden systems, cover 22% of the land area and contribute the majority of the country’s timber and fuelwood supply.  As the tea and rubber industries continue to grow, it is essential that this crucial aspect of the rural economy is preserved.

Sri Lanka became a UN-REDD Programme partner in 2009. Sri Lanka’s UN-REDD National Programme was approved for funding at the 8th meeting of the UN-REDD   Programme Policy Board, with a request for some minor modifications. The document was resubmitted in September 2012. The National Programme is expected to start in early 2013.

The proposed national REDD+ roadmap is designed to achieve the following five Outcomes:

Outcome 1: National consensus reached on the Sri Lanka REDD + programme

Outcome 2: Management Arrangements contributing to the National REDD+ process

Outcome 3: Improved stakeholder awareness and effective engagement

Outcome 4: National REDD+ Strategy and implementation framework

Outcome 5: Monitoring and MRV results for REDD+ activities provided