Sri Lanka's mangrove forests are limited in size and diminishing rapidly, underscoring the urgency of conservation efforts.

Mangroves remain the country's first line of defense from any natural threats from sea, ranging from coastal erosion to extreme events such as tsunamis.

In safeguarding these fast-depleting mangroves, SriLankan Airlines launched a mangrove project with the Forest Department of Forest Conservation Sri Lanka as a collaboration for conservation of the Mangrove forests in the Negombo lagoon.

As part of the initiative, SriLankan Airlines has donated a mangrove nursery to the Department of Forest conservation and has conducted mangrove planting activities in collaboration with the Department. Further, the airline plans to engage with relevant stakeholders in the conservation and protection of sensitive ecosystems around the island in the future.

SriLankan Airlines recently joined forces with local youth in a dedicated effort to clear plastic debris and waste from the mangrove forests around the Negombo Lagoon. The young volunteers navigated through the mangroves in kayaks, reaching difficult areas to retrieve abandoned fishing gear and household waste that were obstructing the vital root systems of the mangroves. This initiative not only reflects a strong commitment to environmental conservation but also fosters community engagement and awareness in preserving these crucial ecosystems.

SriLankan Airlines, in partnership with the Biodiversity Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment, Blue Resources Trust, and the Lanka Environment Fund, to celebrate the world’s very first World Seagrass Day by hosting a workshop on Aerial Image Classification and Seagrass Mapping using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

The airline sponsored this pioneering training, led by seagrass expert Dr. Millica Stankovic from Prince Songkla University in Thailand, marking the first training of its kind in Sri Lanka. The initiative aimed to strengthen national capacity by providing hands-on training for scientists, research students, and government officials, with practical sessions held in Mannar.

Hosting the World Seagrass Day National Celebrations and conducting a Webinar on the “Potential of blue carbon eco systems and a blue economy towards a sustainable growth of a country”.

Dr. Milica Stankovic presented a webinar on the "Potential of blue carbon ecosystems and a blue economy towards a sustainable growth of a country" to celebrate World Seagrass Day.

Blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes, can store more carbon per acre than terrestrial forests. However, these ecosystems are being lost at a rate of 1-2% per year, releasing carbon dioxide in the process.

Sponsoring the air travel for Sri Lanka’s representatives at the World Shark Conference in Spain – where Sri Lanka won the bid to host the 5th Edition of the World Shark Conference.

SriLankan Airlines facilitated the travel of a scientist to attend the Southeast Asia Shark and Ray Research Workshop held at the James Cook University Singapore.

This collaboration aimed to boost shark and ray conservation efforts currently undertaken by the Sri Lanka Elasmobranch Project. It improves capacity in areas of research and data collection methodologies thanks to the skills and insights gained at the workshop, which in turn shall further enhance ongoing conservation and management of these species.

SriLankan Airlines together with Dr. Guido Leurs from the University of Groningen and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research conducted a workshop to address the capacity gap of shark tagging in Sri Lanka.

SriLankan Airlines together with Blue Resources Trust welcomed Mr. Guido Leurs, a highly experienced shark tagger and shark scientist to Sri Lanka.

Mr. Leurs will conducted training, at the Blue Resources Trust Research Station in Kalkudah, for both theoretical and practical sessions for higher level research staff on specimen handling, best release practices to improve post-release survival, data collection, and tagging methodologies.

This initiative also conducted a novel mark-recapture study in Sri Lanka by Blue Resources trust

Regular environmental awareness programs are conducted at peripheral schools, focusing on the establishment of new green clubs, tree planting activities, and seminars on conservation. These sessions educate students on practical methods to reduce their carbon footprint in daily life, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility from a young age.

SriLankan Airlines celebrated World Environment Day with the launch of their first ever training program of the SriLankan Eco Trailers.

Eco Trailers are youth that hale from a peripheral community that borders a Blue Carbon eco system and bio diversity hot spots. They are trained not only as eco guides, but to be environmental change makers in their community to champion conservation and protection of vulnerable environments and to help the Forest Department of Sri Lanka in their research and data collection.