Abstract:
Sri Lanka is a global biodiversity hotspot, home to thousands of species. Mangrove ecosystems in Sri
Lanka play a critical role in contributing to the maintenance of a healthy and resilient environment.
Despite their ecological and socio-economic importance, mangrove ecosystems in Sri Lanka continue
to face significant degradation. The objectives of this research are to examine and address the gap
between Sri Lanka’s international commitments and their practical implementation in mangrove
conservation, moving beyond paper-based solutions. This study adopts a black-letter legal research
methodology, supplemented by qualitative documentary analysis, to critically examine the legal and
institutional framework governing mangrove conservation in Sri Lanka. The study examines secondary
legal sources such as relevant national Acts and international environmental agreements, academic
literature, government reports, national policies, institutional publications, and reports from
international organizations to assess Sri Lanka’s implementation of its international environmental
commitments. Sri Lanka is a party to several key international environmental agreements, including the
Ramsar Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Paris Agreement. Nevertheless, a
significant disparity persists between these international commitments and their effective domestic
implementation, particularly in the context of mangrove conservation a range of indirect legal and
policy frameworks has been established to support their conservation, and sustainable use such as the
Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, Forest Ordinance, Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource
Management Act, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, and the National Strategic Action Plan.
Although Sri Lanka has made notable progress in aligning its legal and policy framework,
implementation remains inconsistent and fragmented, thereby limiting the overall effectiveness of
mangrove protection efforts. The absence of a single institution with overall accountability for
enforcement outcomes, coupled with inadequate inter-agency coordination, limited financial and
technical resources, weak monitoring and compliance mechanisms, the limited deterrent effect of
penalties for environmental offences, and insufficient public participation, has created a significant gap
between the objectives of environmental law and policy and their practical implementation, leaving
mangrove conservation largely confined to paper-based mechanisms. It recommends that a dedicated
mangrove conservation statute or a specific legal framework for mangroves be considered to ensure
uniform standards of protection, clearer legal obligations, and more effective enforcement mechanisms.
While the National Mangrove Steering Committee currently serves as the primary coordination
mechanism, its composition should be diversified to strengthen government involvement and facilitate
broader participation. Strengthening this institutional framework, together with increased public
awareness and meaningful community participation, would help bridge the gap between international
commitments and their effective national implementation.
