📈 UK Launches £ 2.34 Mn 'Resilient Waves' Initiative for Sri Lanka's Coastal Economies

• Program Overview: The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has launched a £ 2.34 Mn grant initiative, Resilient Waves, running through March 2029 under the Blue Planet Fund. Selected from over 370 global applications, the project aims to build climate resilience and safeguard marine biodiversity. • Target Regions & Drivers: Active in the coastal districts of Batticaloa and Mullaitivu, the initiative addresses three core challenges: multidimensional poverty, climate vulnerability, and economic exclusion among vulnerable fishing communities. • Key Sector Interventions: • Habitat Restoration: Rehabilitating degraded coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems through scientific assessments. • Livelihood Diversification: Expanding aquaculture as a primary alternative to marine fishing, focusing on sea bass, tilapia, sea cucumber farming, and cage culture. • Inclusive Governance: Empowering Fisheries Cooperative Societies, expanding women's economic participation, and linking local enterprises directly to financial institutions and private sector value chains. • National Context: Implemented by Acted alongside a local consortium, the program aligns with Sri Lanka's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plan to support climate-smart adaptation in coastal fisheries.