Biodiversity survey in protected areas

Irangika Range

COLOMBO: Asia's first Biodiversity Baseline Survey (BBS), a landmark study undertaken towards the conservation of bio-diversity in four protected areas including Wasgomuwa, Ritigala, Horton Plains and Adams Peak was launched in Colombo.

The BBS was the outcome of a 12-month intensive field work on the Protected Areas Management and Wildlife Conservation Project conducted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Netherlands Government and World Bank released Rs. 80 million to carry out the survey with the involvement of 20 international experts.

Speaking at the BBS launching ceremony, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patalie Champika Ranawake said the survey provides the means of monitoring changes in bio-diversity and assessing conservation of various plant and animal species.

"The BBS plays a very vital role in meeting our obligations to protect the country's bio-diversity for national and global benefit."

Sri Lanka is a signatory to the UN Convention on Biological diversity. "We are obliged to identify and monitor the components of biological diversity in the country," the Minister said. This obligation requires extensive field surveys to inventorise species and ecosystems.

Much of Sri Lanka's biological diversity is represented within the protected area network administered by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Forest Department. "Considering the richness of our biodiversity, we have to take every possible step to protect it at any cost for the future generations," he said.

Ranawake said biodiversity conservation involves species conservation and on the other hand it also involves species recovery. The current project has assisted preparing conservation plans for some key threatened species.

Therefore it is important for us to take some concrete action to implement these plans so as to endure long term conservation of bio-diversity."

The Government through its national policy framework enunciated in the Mahinda Chinthana envisages comprehensive and integrated action towards conservation, protection and restoration of natural and physical environment of the country.