China has agreed to provide technical and research assistance to Sri Lanka for the establishment of bamboo bio-fences as part of efforts to mitigate the country's human-elephant conflict.
The agreement was reached during an official visit by a Sri Lankan delegation led by Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody to the International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) in Beijing.
During the visit, the delegation held bilateral talks with the Centre's Director General and senior officials, focusing on bamboo cultivation, advanced processing technologies and the development of bamboo-based industrial products.
Deputy Minister Jayakody formally requested China's support to implement a bamboo bio-fence programme in Sri Lanka as a sustainable measure to address the human-elephant conflict.
In response, the Chinese side expressed its readiness to provide modern technology, technical expertise, research and development support, and best practices required for the successful implementation of the initiative.
Chinese officials also noted that the project could help improve the livelihoods of local communities by promoting bamboo-based industries, while contributing to a long-term solution to the human-elephant conflict.
