Despite the loss of some of its wetlands, Colombo still has a rich network of natural and man-made wetland habitats, in the form of active and abandoned paddy ?elds and tanks. These provide a variety of important ecological and hydrological services to the city. Further, the wetlands can be called the lungs of the city, since they scrub airborne pollutants, especially exhaust fumes, from the atmosphere and help maintain a comfortable ambient temperature. The ?shing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), locally known as the ?handun diviya" is the country?s second largest wild cat. Though the species? global classi?cation was upgraded to Vulnerable in 2016 by the IUCN RedList, it is locally classi?ed as Endangered by the National Red List, Sri Lanka. Often mistaken for young leopards, the species is a highly elusive nocturnal predator, and is found almost exclusively in water rich habitats.

Research has shown that Colombo is the only known large city in the world where wild ?shing cats have been recorded, not only in urban wetlands, but also within the heart of the city. Thus, ?shing cats are an excellent ?agship species around which to protect Colombo?s urban wetland habitats. The species will also promote tourism within the city, as tourists won?t need to travel hours out of Colombo in search of a charismatic animal, but will also help promote other urban wildlife species, such as the otter, the ring-tail civet, the porcupine and the rusty-spotted cat. The importance of the city?s urban wetlands will also be highlighted through the ?shing cat, as tourists spend time exploring these otherwise ignored habitats. This in turn would help increase the city?s livability by creating new jobs for the citizens of Colombo.

The following are the main outcomes of this project:
? Conservation of the endangered ?shing cat in Colombo?s urban wetlands starting with the Diyasaru Park and Kolonnawa Wetland
? Small cat rehabilitation centre at the Diyasaru Park
? A wetland management and wildlife management strategy for Colombo?s urban wetlands
? A social enterprise for wetland conservation through a plastic recycling initiative
? Community capacity building workshops and awareness programmes
? Fishing cat proof poultry cages for communities faced with ?shing cat-human con?ict