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[email protected] Strict embargo: Tuesday 26 July 2016 (04.01 GMT/12.01am EDT) Leading the fight against climate change: Pioneering Sri Lanka Mangrove protection programme marks World Mangrove Day with big successes President of Sri Lanka to open world’s first mangrove museum 26 July 2016, World Mangrove Day: A year into a groundbreaking program to protect all mangroves in Sri Lanka—and just in time for World Mangrove Day—the forests are being mapped and protected, and women and youth are receiving microloans and job training. And as mangroves, which sequester much more carbon than other types of forests, emerge as a key weapon in the fight against climate change, the program is poised to become a model for other countries worldwide. Funding for the program is now secure, as island conservation organisation Seacology announced it had achieved its target of raising $3.4 million for the five-year project, which will enable Sri Lanka to become the first country in the world to protect all of its mangrove forests. The funding is part of a pioneering partnership among Seacology, the Sri Lankan government, and local NGO Sudeesa, who hope the project will be a model for mangrove forest conservation around the world. The project combines legal protection, education, and conservation on the ground, whilst supporting sustainable economic development for Sri Lanka’s coastal communities. “Mangroves swiftly absorb carbon dioxide and inject oxygen into the atmosphere, maintaining an ecological balance that is vital for the environment.