Sri Lanka to Protect Forested Government Lands in New Green Initiative

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Environment has announced plans to designate a number of forested government lands across the country as protected reserves.

Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody stated that forest patches of five hectares or more have been identified in every district, and special attention will be given to those located on mountain tops and elevated terrain due to their ecological significance.

As part of the first phase, 20 forest areas have been selected for protection, with priority given to districts such as Monaragala and Ampara, where dense forest cover remains intact.

These areas will be officially declared as protected zones under the new initiative titled “Vanaspati”, aimed at expanding Sri Lanka’s forest reserve network.

Deputy Minister Jayakody emphasized that the program’s core objective is to ensure the safety and preservation of these forest ecosystems, while also contributing to the expansion of the country’s green cover and biodiversity protection.