Active mangrove restoration work in the Nayaru Lagoon — one of Mullaitivu District's most ecologically significant coastal wetland systems — is progressing under a multi-agency environmental rehabilitation initiative, marking a significant step toward rebuilding the natural coastal infrastructure that protects fishing communities and sustains marine biodiversity along the Northern Province coastline. The Nayaru Lagoon restoration programme, coordinated through the UN-Habitat Adaptation Fund project with technical support from the Central Environmental Authority and Department of Coast Conservation, is targeting degraded mangrove zones that lost significant canopy cover during the conflict era due to military operations, displacement, and the abandonment of traditional conservation practices by displaced communities. Mangroves serve a dual ecological and economic function in Mullaitivu's coastal system: as nursery habitats, they shelter juvenile fish populations of commercially vital species including mullet, snapper, and prawn, directly supporting the district's artisanal fishing economy. As coastal barriers, dense mangrove stands absorb storm energy, reduce erosion, and protect low-lying villages from the increasingly severe cyclonic weather events to which Mullaitivu's coastline is exposed. Field teams have been conducting systematic replanting of locally sourced mangrove propagules across identified degraded zones within the lagoon, combined with community-led monitoring protocols that engage local fishing families as active custodians of the restoration areas. Early assessments indicate improved water clarity and an increase in juvenile fish sightings within restored zones, preliminary indicators of ecosystem recovery. Environmental officials confirmed that the Nayaru Lagoon initiative feeds into Sri Lanka's national coastal restoration targets under the country's Nationally Determined Contribution commitments to the Paris Agreement, positioning Mullaitivu as a demonstration site for integrated post-conflict and climate adaptation coastal management.