IRESA- Initiative of River Ecology in Sri Lanka: from science to application

Austrian project partner    Local project partner    Project manager

University of Innsbruck, Institute of Limnology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences Mondsee  Department of Zoology, University of  Kelaniya   Prof. Leopold Füreder

Over the last decades, mankind has had a serious impact on river systems through careless exploitation, the introduction of foreign species and through the destruction of habitats.

Sri Lanka is considered to be an ecologically very diverse island in the Indo-Pacific region. It is being drained by 103 river sites, which are characterized by a high degree of biodiversity and endemism. Due to the acute threat to its waters, Sri Lanka needs strategies that help develop both awareness and concern about the national natural resources and combine them with a sustainable, considerate management of use, as well as consistent protection of the environment.

The IRESA project is meant to provide important results for the understanding of the way rivers function, which enable the local population to comprehend their natural resources, to preserve them and, at the same time, to use them in a sustainable manner.

The aims of the project are:

- Creation of a nucleus for sustainable research and education in the field of river ecology

- Promotion of networks of scientists and users, as well as a long-term, sustainable cooperation in the field of river ecology between the institutions in Austria and Sri Lanka

- Raising awareness of the endangerment and protection of natural resources in the country's water policy

P138 Report 2.13 mb

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