COLOMBO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) partnered with the Ministry of Crab restaurant through the Global Environment Facility funded Small Grants Program (SGP) for mangrove restoration in Mannar in northern Sri Lanka, according to a statement from the UNDP on Wednesday.

The UNDP said it will be conducted in the form of an 18-month project that will empower communities in the area, with a strong focus on mangrove restoration.

The program participants will lead their communities in mangrove propagation, reforestation, and protection, according to the UNDP.

The project will work with two grassroots organizations, the Human Development Organization (HDO) and WeCAN, which will plant 1,000 mangrove plants with community participation, forming youth groups for the maintenance and monitoring of planted mangroves.

This will be carried out through creating tree bands on five hectares of saline land and supported by constructions of a storage pond by low-lying areas to capture rainwater as well as the establishment of a plant nursery, said the UNDP.

Mangrove forests play a critical role in Sri Lanka's ecological system; however, they are rapidly degrading due to climate change and pollution, according to the UNDP. Enditem

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