Conserving Sri Lankan rivers and their invertebrates

Buglife was contacted by the Ecological Association of Sri Lanka and the University of Perideniya to see whether we could work together on the conservation of river invertebrates particularly crabs in Sri Lanka; and at the same time help address many of the problems facing Sri Lankan rivers.

Freshwater Sri Lankan crab © Craig Macadam

Rivers in Sri Lanka are affected by a number of problems including invasive alien species and pesticides, which are regulated only for human safety. The removal of vegetation on mountains and lower slopes for agriculture results in soil running off into rivers and streams, which also makes the habitat unsuitable for the crabs.

In November 2009, two Buglife staff members visited Sri Lanka to meet with the Ecological Association of Sri Lanka, the University of Peradeniya and Government officials to plan a joint project to conserve river invertebrates in Sri Lanka and use them to assess habitat and water quality. This visit also gave us the opportunity to see the threats faced by Sri Lankan rivers and river invertebrates at first hand. The trip was funded by the Darwin Initiative, and we are now working with partners in Sri Lanka to develop a full conservation project proposal.