Oct13, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian government has launched a community forestry program.
The program launched Wednesday (October 11) with AUD 5 million (over 650 million rupees) assistance from Australia aims to increase forest cover and support small farmers living in Sri Lanka's dry zone.
According to the UNDP, Sri Lanka has lost half of its forest cover during the past hundred years and deforestation and forest degradation which result in lack of water for farming and drinking is a source of poverty for rural households.
Also the dwindling forest cover increases the risk of drought and forest fires as Sri Lanka recently experienced.
Large number of poor farmer communities use forest resources to survive, the UNDP points out.
Under the government's Mahinda Chintana Future Vision, Sri Lanka plans to double the forest cover in 10 years.
Click here to read this story @ Colombo Page: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_12A/Oct13_1350109964CH.php
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