To eradicate invasive plants in Bundala National Park:

United Dendro initiates ecological restoration project

Indunil Hewage in Bundala

United Dendro Private Limited, a subsidiary of Lanka Orix Leasing Group (LOLC), in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Conservation, recently initiated an ecological restoration project to eradicate alien invasive plants such as Prosopis juliflora and Opuntia dillenii (Cactus) within the Bundala National Park, the country's first wet land to be declared as a Ramsar site.

Trees being felled Picture by M.Irfarn Zakariya, Hambantota Thinakaran Spl corr.

Under the project, a total land area of 454 hectare would be cleared out in a period of five years and the remnants of the uprooted plants, would be used for the production of electricity, the output of which would be synchronized to the country's national grid.

The spread of invasive plants have limited the existing livestock grazing lands for animals and habitats of the wading birds as well as other endemic species.

The quality of the water in the lagoons had changed by the draining of excess fresh water from irrigation systems, which had posed a threat to the park's bio diversity.

In parallel to the LOLC project, Sri Lanka's first ever wet land laboratory had been open in the Bundala National Park by Senior Advisor of the Ramsar Convention's Asia-Oceania Region, Professor Lee Ying and the Wildlife Conservation Department Director General H.D. Ratnayake.

The need for a wet land laboratory arose and the equipment needed provided by the UNESCO on a request made by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The laboratory would inspect and measure the activities at the park.

"We are planning to stop the flow of freshwater draining into the three lagoons at the park, thereby recreating its entire irrigation structure.

In addition, we have already drawn plans to manage livestock grazing in the Bundala Park, while growing edible fruit trees for the use of animals in the park.

The comprehensive restoration plan of the park would ultimately help draw a large number of foreign and domestic visitors," Wildlife Conservation Department Director General, H. D. Ratnayake said.

Ramsar Convention's Asia-Oceania Region Professor Lee Ying, addressing the opening ceremony of the wetland laboratory, mentioned that Sri Lanka should formulate a joint management plan to monitor the conditions of the park and the opening of Sri Lanka's first laboratory would be the first step towards a sustainable management of the Bundala National Park.

In year 2005, the national park had been designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the fourth biosphere reserve in Sri Lanka.