Salesforce Startup Program Aims at Sri Lanka’s Thriving Tech Sector – The Island

Sri Lanka, an island nation celebrated for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage, is also one of the world’s most remarkable biodiversity hotspots. This unique environment is not only home to a vast array of flora and fauna but is also deeply interwoven with the lives of the communities residing within its borders. Small-scale conservation efforts have flourished across the island for years, but as the urgency of the environmental crisis intensifies, comprehensive strategies are essential. In response, MAS Holdings, a trailblazer in the apparel-tech industry, recognized that scattered initiatives were insufficient and initiated a transformative approach to biodiversity conservation.

With an ambitious sustainability roadmap known as the MAS Plan for Change 2030, MAS Holdings has made biodiversity restoration a central focus. Building on earlier commitments made for 2025, the company is now pledging to restore biodiversity across an area 100 times larger than its operational footprint. This is no small feat; it encompasses over 31,700 acres of land across 15 countries, including North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Nemanthie Kooragamage, Director of Group Sustainable Business at MAS Holdings, asserts that this large-scale reforestation initiative requires bold, innovative approaches to be effective.

According to Kooragamage, “Well-planned restoration can do far more than replace lost trees. It can reconnect fragmented landscapes, stabilize soils, improve freshwater quality, rebuild coastal and mangrove nurseries, and create wildlife corridors.” Each of these outcomes not only contributes to ecological health but also bolsters the resilience of local communities and the apparel supply chains that rely on these ecosystems.

Building a Scalable Goal

The seeds of MAS’ biodiversity ambition were sown back in 2017 when the company pledged to restore 250 acres of land, equivalent to its operational footprint at the time. However, by the end of the initiative, that target had doubled to encompass 500 acres. This early project illuminated a critical insight: simply planting trees was not enough to tackle the diverse challenges facing the landscapes. Thus, MAS formulated a six-model framework addressing different interventions tailored to specific conditions: Conservation, Reforestation, Invasive Removal, Afforestation, Analog Forests, and Forest Gardens.

This comprehensive framework not only served as the foundation for their biodiversity goals but also informed the larger target set under the Plan for Change 2025, which called for restoring a staggering 25,000 acres—a significant scale-up from their earlier initiative.

Applying the Six-Model Approach

Over the past five years, the six-model framework has been put into practice through various projects that highlight the necessity for context-specific interventions. One exemplary initiative is the Panama In-Situ Turtle Conservation Project, a collaborative effort to protect a three to ten-kilometer stretch of coastline. Launched alongside two corporates and the Wildlife and Ocean Resources Conservation Society, this project has safeguarded 272 nests and facilitated the release of over 17,000 endangered sea turtle hatchlings since October 2023, underscoring the importance of collaboration in conservation efforts.

The reforestation efforts have also been noteworthy. In Trincomalee, MAS restored 10 acres of mangroves, achieving an impressive 81% sapling survival rate. Additionally, the Ittapana Mangrove Forest Reforestation Project involved planting 500 saplings alongside the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and local communities, with a remarkable 94% survival rate. This initiative didn’t just focus on ecological restoration; it also improved local fisheries, enhanced water quality, and fostered community engagement, creating lasting positive impacts.

Further innovating their approach, MAS collaborated with the Sri Lanka Air Force to restore 275 acres of large, inaccessible degraded terrains using aerial seed bombing, achieving a 45% survival rate. This efficient method of restoration showcases the effectiveness of adapting techniques to the specific challenges at hand.

Invasive species removal has also been a critical aspect of MAS’s efforts. They joined forces with the Department of Wildlife Conservation to tackle invasive alien species in national parks. For instance, MAS removed Ulex europaeus from 82% of the affected areas at Horton Plains and restored 244 acres of sensitive ecosystem. Meanwhile, in Udawalawe and Lunugamwehera, the manual removal of Lantana camara supported the regeneration of grasslands crucial for the survival of elephants, leopards, and sloth bears.

Uvini Athukorala, Manager of Environmental Sustainability, remarks, “We tested different approaches in Sri Lanka, from coastal conservation to seed bombing and invasive species removal, and they proved effective in their own contexts.” With a goal this expansive, the challenge ahead is to ensure that these learnings are translated into actionable strategies globally.

Expanding Globally

As part of its Plan for Change 2025 biodiversity initiatives, MAS has expanded its project footprint beyond Sri Lanka to encompass other countries where it operates. This strategic move allows the company to address the landscapes and communities directly connected to its business operations, fostering global impact.

In Central Java, Indonesia, for example, the Blora Ngawi Biodiversity Restoration Project has already restored over 12,601 acres since 2023. This initiative includes the planting of more than half a million trees and establishes a multi-stakeholder forest management model that emphasizes forest protection, land rehabilitation, and habitat enrichment.

Kenya has seen MAS’s largest conservation project to date, protecting 8,275 acres within Nairobi National Park in partnership with The Wildlife Foundation. This initiative not only secures critical wildlife corridors for elephants, lions, and cheetahs but also directly addresses human-wildlife conflict, creating conservation-linked livelihoods for over 600 local inhabitants, with a strong focus on empowering women and youth.

These international projects further illustrate that successful conservation strategies honed in Sri Lanka can be adapted and applied in a variety of contexts, ensuring both ecological health and community benefits.

Lessons for the Future

As MAS concludes its Plan for Change 2025 pathway, it has successfully restored 25,058 acres towards its biodiversity conservation goal. This journey reinforces two significant lessons. Firstly, the realization that restoration approaches must be context-specific is crucial. From mangrove reforestation in Trincomalee to invasive species removal at Horton Plains, each ecosystem presents unique challenges and opportunities. Secondly, collaboration across sectors—partnering with government entities, universities, local communities, and non-profits—has been foundational to the sustainability of these projects, ensuring their impacts resonate long after the initial interventions have concluded.