WNPS lecture on protecting vulnerable ecosystems

Prof J M P K Jayasinghe will deliver this month’s Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) lecture on Thursday, February 15 at 6 pm at the Cinema Lounge of the BMICH. His topic will be ‘Solutions for Wetland Pollution and Abuse’.

Wetlands are the areas of land that are permanently or seasonally inundated with fresh, brackish, or saline water and comprise a range of plant and animal species that are adapted to the degree of inundation, the type of water that is present, as well as the soil conditions.

Flood storage, sediment control, water quality improvement, preventing shoreline erosion and protection, providing habitats for plants, fish and wildlife, acting as biodiversity reservoirs, serving as breeding, nursery and feeding grounds for aquatic organisms are some of the wetlands’ main ecological functions.

Reclamation of wetlands for other uses without understanding how coastal ecosystems function and the ecological services that they provide, has resulted in environmental degradation, pollution, depletion of natural resources, reduction in biodiversity, and social conflicts depriving communities to their access and traditional sustainable resource extraction patterns.

The lecture offers insights into the need for conservation efforts to protect these ecosystems from the detrimental impacts of industrial development and aquaculture expansion.

Prof J M P K Jayasinghe is a biologist, holding a PhD in coastal aquaculture from the University of Stirling, UK. With 19 years at Sri Lanka's National Aquatic Resources Agency, he rose to Director and Head roles. Since 2002, he's been Chair Professor at Wayamba University. His work spans health and environmental management in shrimp culture, fisheries impacts, and combating climate change in aquaculture.

The WNPS lecture is supported by the Nations Trust Bank and is open to public, free of charge.