Building on our work in the Maldives, neighboring Sri Lanka became our second key country in South Asia in 2018. Since then, Parley Sri Lanka has organized cleanups, conducted educational outreach and signed a formal agreement with MEPA – the country’s Marine Environment Protection Authority.
“The once vibrant oceans around us are now in a dire state, but I feel hopeful every time I see our volunteers at work. They are a constant reminder that every individual in a society has the potential to bring about change.”
Irushinie Wedage – Parley Sri Lanka
Beach and coastal cleanups
Since November 2018, Parley Sri Lanka has conducted over 100 cleanups in different parts of the country, intercepting over 15,650kg of marine debris in collaboration with an array of central and local government agencies, local NGOs, private businesses as well as waste management and logistics partners. Each event is usually coupled with brief awareness sessions and creative engagement activities – providing an ocean learning opportunity for volunteers.
Some of the most dramatic came after the May 2021 sinking of the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, which caught fire and ran aground off the Sri Lankan coast. The massive cargo ship was carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid, sodium hydroxide and other dangerous chemicals – along with at least 28 containers of raw materials used to make plastic bags, the heavy fuel oil in its tanks and three containers carrying 26,000kg of plastic pellets each. After the hazardous cleanup phase involving specialized government and military crews, Parley Sri Lanka continued efforts to remove pellet and other plastic debris from the disaster. To date, our teams have intercepted roughly 3.5 million plastic pellets from the beaches and coastline along the country’s west coast.
collaboration IS KEY
In October 2019, Parley Sri Lanka signed a long-term partnership with the country’s Marine Environment Protection Authority aimed at protecting and preserving Sri Lanka’s marine environments. Be it overfishing, pollution or habitat loss, the oceans around the country are under more serious threat than ever before. Parley’s partnership with MEPA will be the start of a long-term journey that includes research, education, beach and ocean cleanups as well as eco-innovations. The collaboration brings together both global and local expertise on many levels to support Sri Lanka in achieving global marine conservation goals.
Fearless Collective x Parley
In the run-up to COP27, Parley Sri Lanka collaborated with Fearless Collective to help amplify women’s voices as narrators to the current global environmental crisis, honoring the deep and intimate connections between women and the earth. In an effort to highlight the lives and experiences of women in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Fearless and Parley worked with Shri Vimukthi Fisherwomen Organization, associated with the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement.
Through a workshop and mural painting led by Fearless and supported by Parley, the project explored the relationship between generations of fisherwomen and the ocean, their dependence on the water for their livelihoods, the repercussions of the X-Press Pearl Shipping disaster, and their unseen leadership in response to the impacts of global threats include climate change, large-scale industrial fishing activity, and plastic pollution. Unveiled to the public on October 16th with a community feast and celebration, the completed Negombo mural draws from the women’s personal lived experiences and their stories about the ocean that have been passed down for generations, and embodies their dreams for their community.
Education
Youth are a key pillar of Parley’s global movement for the oceans, and education is a vital part of our work in Sri Lanka. As part of this ongoing effort, the team ran an awareness programme on ocean plastic pollution at the historic Galle Dutch Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There were over 50 participants including schoolchildren and teachers at this outdoor classroom for the oceans. Cleaning up, waste segregation and weighing gave the participants insights about the severity of the issue of marine plastic pollution. They learned first-hand about the common pollutants, sources of pollution and the impact of marine waste. As Irushinie Wedage explains, “It was a great way to connect the volunteers with the oceans and to make them understand how their actions, both good and bad, can affect the oceans.”
INTERCEPTING PLASTIC WASTE IN SRI LANKA
Located south of Colombo, the Lunawa Lagoon is a 4km long body of water that was once pristine and biodiverse, home to over 75 species of birds – and a source of pride to the community living in the surrounding areas. Today, the lagoon is under threat from the dumping of waste both along its banks and into the four major canals which feed into it. Working with the MAS Foundation for Change, Parley Sri Lanka identified one of these canals as an optimum site to install a custom-made river boom – or “Ocean Strainer” as it’s been named.
Installed earlier this month, the device is engineered to stop larger floating waste items entering the lagoon and eventually the sea. The Ocean Strainer acts as a barrier, allowing us to collect waste from the water, segregate it into recyclable waste or dispose of it responsibly. It is specifically designed to suit Sri Lanka’s extensive canal systems and marine environment, with an annual capacity to capture over 65,000kg of waste that would otherwise flow freely through these water bodies. With the potential to replicate this solution across canals and rivers in Sri Lanka and in other countries in the region, we are looking forward to working with MAS, and plan on scaling up this initiative with the support of likeminded partners across the region.
SUPPORT OUR WORK IN SRI LANKA
Your support helps us tackle plastic pollution and other threats facing the oceans. All donations go directly to our global teams, helping to fund cleanups, education and infrastructure projects.
Thank You to ALL our Collaborators IN SRI LANKA
Marine Environment Protection Authority – MEPA
Sri Lanka Navy
Green Building Council of Sri Lanka
Royal College
Leo Clubs - Gampaha Metro and Mattegoda
Sri Lanka Coast Guard
Earth Lanka
Omega Line
Ashley Davis Collective
National Cleaner Production Centre
Horizon Campus
Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association
Center for Beach Cleanups
National School of Business Management
AIESEC
Zonta Club III of Colombo
INSEE Ecocycle Lanka (Private) Limited
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon
Volunteer Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Saukyadana Movement
Caritas Sri Lanka – SEDEC
Freedom Surf School
Ananta Sustainables
W15-Weligama
Clear Ocean Pact
Dreamsea Surf Camp
Elsewhere Surf Camps
Dikwella Resort & Spa
Jetwing Lighthouse
University of Ruhuna
Ceyline Shipping
Eco Spindles
PARLEY SRI LANKA 🇱🇰
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The Parley Global Cleanup Network works to protect marine environments from plastic pollution and other threats. Through collaborative cleanups with local businesses and organizations, our teams intercept plastic waste from beaches, remote islands, rivers, mangroves and coastal communities. With cleanups in 30 countries so far and counting, the Network also works on local education, awareness campaigns and government engagement to drive change.
Each country team shares our vision for healthier oceans globally, and works locally to champion the Parley AIR Strategy in their nation. As of 2022, Parley has engaged over 720,000 volunteers globally, conducted more than 21,000 cleanup and education events and intercepted 1.1 million kg of plastic.