Sri Lanka protects nearly 10,000 hectares of forest
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The Sri Lankan Ministry of Environment will formally designate 20 forests spanning 9,538 hectares as reserves on September 26, under the “Wanaspathi” National Programme.
These forests are located in the Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Ampara, Badulla, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura districts of Sri Lanka. Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi will present the official Gazette notification at the Sri Lanka Forestry Institute. This action builds on existing conservation efforts.
The government, through the Ministry of Environment and the Department of Forest Conservation, has already established 93 forests as reserves. With this latest addition, the total area of forest reserves protected under the “Wanaspathi” programme will reach approximately 65,000 hectares. The specific forests included in this new designation are Elgin, Balangala, Bambaragala, Rathagala, Gasthuwela, Aliyakanda, Kadawelana, Senagamuwa, Mudugala, Hirissagala, and others listed by the Ministry.
