Committee for People’s Rights, Rush & Reed Conservation and Diversification Programme

Horana, Sri Lanka

An Overview Of Our Solution

We are a Grass Root Level organization based in the Kalutara District of Sri Lanka working on wetland conservation, organic agriculture, eco friendly products and changing the lifestyles and attitudes of the society. Through our programme we have promoted bio diversity conservation, organic agriculture, eco friendly products, self confidence and character building of women through economic and social empowerment, ethnic harmony through nationwide training programs, environmental awareness to the next generation through school programs, changing fashion to eco friendly products, etc. We are a research and resource center developing new ideas, technology and methods such as the tabletop weaving machine etc. We are the central conservatory for all types of rushes and reeds and for the industry associated flora, for example flora used as natural coloring agents.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Nirlaba

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Freshwater

Grasslands

Oceans/Coasts

Population impacted

Approximately 15,000 (direct impact)

Size of agricultural area

Approximately 750 hectares

Production quantity

(Rush & Reed only) Direct at the centre as raw material approximately 10,000kg & and indirectly 15,000kg within the network

People employed

2,100 persons island wide

Describe your solution

Solution was needed to make micro land farming economically viable. An integrated program commenced based on the Traditional & Indigenous Knowledge of the older generations of farmers to be self sustaining. • Reed Plots were introduced to rice fields, the yield was used to weave eco friendly products providing home based income generation for women. Reed plots were traditionally used as a place for wetland biodiversity & the life cycle helped to protect the crops from insects without the use of pesticides. Reeds gradually absorbed the toxins in the water, reducing chemical components in the degraded land & purifying water. • Edible & medicinal plants around reed plot increased the biodiversity & food for consumption. Organic home gardens were reintroduced to the households. • Development of organic fertilizer for the reed plots & gardens ensured that both the flora and fauna were able to naturally and gradually rejuvenate ecology and land. • Organic rice cultivation reintroduced to the micro farmers, with traditional rice varieties, high in nutrition & market value. • Manufacture of eco friendly traditional & modern products, awareness activities changing the attitudes of the population. • Reintroduction of cattle to be used for compost fertilizer, diary production, etc. These activities changed the attitudes & patterns of people & community became sustainable. Wetland biodiversity, increase of floral & faunal species, better quality water, etc. was achieved.

Describe your implementation

Activities were based on traditional & indigenous knowledge. The greatest strength & resource was the older generation who shared their knowledge of agriculture & weaving with the younger generations. • Versatile human resource base of both genders leading farming & weaving activities. • Training the younger generation in rush & reed weaving, development of new products, training women in weaving, etc. • Revitalization of indigenous & traditional farming methods used in the micro farming. • Training & awareness programs in biodiversity conservation, traditional & indigenous methods in order to change attitudes & thinking. School programs to educate the children of wetland conservation, organic farming, eco friendly products, etc., which increased the market interest for eco friendly products ensuring the success of the program. • Knowledge of the seniors who contributed their time & energy with enthusiasm, making them productive members of the society, enabled us to forge ahead with a strong knowledge base. Reactivation of farmers, micro farming becoming economically viable, rising demand for eco friendly products, etc. contributed to our success. • Increase of floral and faunal species in wetland & biodiversity conservation is one of our key successes. Economic & Social Empowerment of women through weaving, revitalization of micro land farming, rehabilitation of degraded land, economic & social stability in the program areas, ground water table becoming healthy, etc., are our important achievements. • The main obstacles were the attitude of people towards traditional knowledge & weaving, interest in short term economic successes rather than long term solutions, modern development practices destroying the biodiversity, urbanization of the rural population, developing markets for the products, use of cheaper synthetic products destroying our nature, reluctance to purchase more expensive eco friendly products, etc., were the obstacles we faced.

External connections

• Ministry of Environment in Sri Lanka provided us with our initial cash endowment with which we started our program and supported us in different ways. • UNDP Small Grants Program & Global Environment Fund supported us financially and encouraging & promoting our activities. The SGP Network enabled us to become active in policy and decision making with regard to biodiversity & make an impact with the government institutions. • Sri Lanka National Design Centre worked with us to develop new products, to train in manufacturing modern products & helped with our experimentation of designs. • Hotel landscape & biodiversity planning at Jetwing Viluyana Hotel in Sigiriya encouraged us to share our knowledge & design landscape in different contexts. • Urban Development Authority in designing the biodiversity park opened new avenues for us to explore. • Equator Initiative in providing opportunities, financial support, enabling us to learn from other organizations & create an international network of ideas. Sharing the knowledge and best practices enabled us to forge ahead in different & new paths. • Divisional & District Secretariats in Sri Lanka taking the message to the people & providing opportunities to create awareness & markets for the products. • Shangrila Hotel Group in creating & designing rush & reed products for a five start hotel. • Rush and Reed Weaver’s Network in developing policy framework, product & marketing networks. • Center for Poverty Analysis

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Destruction of Wetland Biodiversity due to chemical fertilizers and pesticides, land degradation, displacement of traditional micro farming, disintegration of families and social structures due to younger generation leaving for urban centers in search of employment, increase of the use of synthetic and accumulation of non-biodegradable garbage even in rural areas, etc., were the challenges we faced. The organization formed with displaced micro farmers found solutions through the re-introduction of Traditional and Indigenous Agricultural Practices, rejuvenation of degraded land by reverting to organic fertilizer and traditional practices, Economic Empowerment of families specially women through rush and reed weaving, changing of synthetic based lifestyles into eco friendly life styles and long term stability of communities through the development of economic and social enhancement.

Describe the context in which you are operating

The introduction of Green Revolution to Sri Lanka changed the traditional ecology based agricultural system to dependence on chemical fertilizer & pesticides, degrading the soil, increasing the basic cost of agriculture, making it impossible for micro land farmers to eke out a living, driving them to poverty and leaving the land for employment in the cities. The small plots became uneconomical and farmers were forced to leave in search of alternate methods of income generation. This forced the women to seek employment as domestic employees in the Middle East or in urban areas as garment factory workers, disrupting family, social and cultural fabric. The wetland biodiversity was destroyed due to chemicals and land degradation unable to support the natural ecology and numerous species of flora and fauna disappeared from the wetlands. Farming land was slowly being converted to housing projects and rapid deforestation to meet the needs of the increasing population changed the water table and the natural waterways causing floods.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

Introduction of reed plots in rice fields created havens for fauna. Reeds absorbed toxins making a viable habitat for fauna - insects, frogs, etc., & improved the ecological cycle. Decrease in the use of chemical fertilizer & pesticides improved the soil quality, natural regeneration of soil was improved, further conserving the biodiversity. The program initiated in Kalutara District has now evolved around the country & changed to suit the dry zone & the wet zone. In the dry zone desertification has reversed due to water retention & stabilizing the ground water table. Economic changes brought to rural families, economic stability of women in urban & rural areas through the manufacture of eco friendly products, changed lifestyles & reduced the number of young people leaving their families in search of employment in cities. The greatest result we have achieved is the change from synthetic based life styles to eco friendly living & conservation of the biodiversity.

Language(s)

Sinhalese, Tamil & English

Water

The reed plots in paddy fields were able to purify the water in the area by absorbing some of the pollutants. The integrated approach of using traditional plants around water sources have increased the quality of water and rejuvenated and stabilized the ground water table.

Food Security/Nutrition

Agricultural rejuvenation of specially micro scale farmers through paddy cultivation, organic home gardens, etc. has improved the food security. Organic approach has improved the quality of food as well as lack of chemicals in the food has improved health.

Economic/Sustainable Development

Organic farming practices have become sustainable and the reed plots provide an additional recurrent income to all farmers as the yield can be harvested number of times during the year. The reed products provide an additional income for the household.

Climate

The wetland biodiversity has improved and gradually reducing the climate based hazards such as droughts and floods in the area. Reversed the bio degradation in wet and dry zone rice cultivation, increased awareness changing the attitudes of the society has a long term mitigation of ecological destruction.

Sustainability

Organic rice cultivation of traditional varieties became an economically sustainable due to increasing market needs. Reed plots in rice fields have increased the biodiversity, absorption of water pollutants, soil rejuvenation, etc., helping long term sustainability. Eco friendly reed products have become fashionable & in demand as a niche market. The network of farmers & weavers support & sustain each other & networks enable us to accept large scale production of eco friendly products. The organization is self sustaining through revenue of eco friendly products, without grants or government subsidies. We are a research & resource centre for biodiversity education, training & conservation.

Return on investment

Investment is approximately US $ 120,000 since 1999 to present. The micro land farmers restarted their agricultural practices which is a 100% increase from their original income. This initiated many large scale farmers initiating small plots of organic cultivation increasing their income by 40%. The networks of farmers and weavers have increased their income by 60%. The organization & staff is sustained through the revenue of the eco friendly products. The increase of biodiversity in wetland, increase of environmental awareness, education of school children in biodiversity conservation & environmental awareness, etc., cannot be calculated. The stability of ground water, prevention of natural hazards is a part of the results.

Entrant Image

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

The concept was introduced to the Green Foundation in Bangalore India and having shared our success at different international forums we hope that other organizations have instituted some of our methods. We have replicated this in all different areas of Sri Lanka with modifications and have been successful. We have successfully implemented the program in Ampara, Batticoloa, Mannar, Kalutara, Galle, Hambantota, Kurunegala, etc., Districts in Sri Lanka across wetland, dry zone, intermediate zone and wet zone climates in Sri Lanka. Our network consists of partners from all these districts. The cost per head in training in life style changing attitudes, weaving, organic agriculture etc., with in house training will be approximately US $ 1,500.

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Reed Industry in Sri Lanka

Overview