ComBank supports mangrove planting and beach clean-up in Mannar

Thursday, 3 October 2019 00:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Representatives of the Sri Lanka Navy, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon and the University who participated in the clean-up of Mannar beach

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently provided financial assistance to plant 1,000 mangrove trees along the Mannar coastal belt and to clean up the beach area. Following the support provided by the Bank to the Department of Public Administration of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, this CSR project titled ‘Green & Clean Mannar’ was carried out with the help of the Sri Lanka Navy, which will continue to maintain the area.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), mangrove forests, like coral reefs, are extremely productive ecosystems that provide numerous benefits to the marine environment and people. Mangrove forests are home to a large variety of fish, crab, shrimp, and mollusc species, and the dense root systems of mangrove forests trap sediments flowing down rivers and off the land, helping stabilise coastlines and preventing erosion from waves and storms.

Additionally, coastal communities collect medicinal plants from mangrove ecosystems and use mangrove leaves as animal fodder, while mangrove wood, which is resistant to rot and insects, is extremely valuable.