Rush and Reed Conservation and Diversification Program - Sri Lanka (Sinhalese)

The Rush and Reed Conservation and Diversification Program, run by the Committee for People's Rights, is helping to restore the biological diversity (of birds, fish, insects and microorganisms) and ecological processes in paddy fields (wetlands) that were decimated during the Green Revolution. The group works to revive the traditional value and methods of rush and reed production as a cottage industry for poverty reduction.

In 2004, the Rush and Reed Conservation and Diversification Program won the Equator Prize which is awarded biennially to recognize outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This video was created as part of our Biodiversity for Local Livelihoods project.