The Sri Lankan Ministry of Finance has announced it will receive a €8 million grant from the European Union to promote 'biodiversity' and 'sustainable land use' despite military-backed land grabs and deforestation.
The grant agreement was signed by the Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma, and the European Union Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Carmen Moreno.
“Biodiversity is one of the most important assets of Sri Lanka, and through this project we will work together with the authorities to strengthen its protection by improving management of waste,” EU Ambassador Carmen Moreno said.
The grant approval comes despite continued militarisation and state-backed land grabs across the Tamil homeland. The Sri Lankan military has undertaken massive deforestation of parts of the Tamil homeland since the end of the armed conflict. Sri Lanka's forest department is also alleged to have been involved in the illegal trade of timber across the North-East, in which areas in Mullaitivu were targeted by illegal loggers.
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