20 more forests across six districts to be declared forest reserves

By The Pulseline News Desk

The Government is set to expand Sri Lanka’s protected forest network, with 20 additional forest areas across six districts to be declared forest reserves through a Gazette notification soon, Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi said.

According to the Minister, the new forest reserves will be located in the Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Badulla, Vavuniya and Ampara districts, marking a further step in the Government’s efforts to strengthen the protection and management of the country’s forest resources.

The move will bring the identified forest areas under formal reservation through the Gazette, providing a stronger legal framework for their protection and management.

Sri Lanka’s forests play a critical role in protecting biodiversity, maintaining water sources, preventing soil degradation and supporting communities dependent on natural ecosystems. Expanding the formally protected forest area is therefore expected to strengthen conservation efforts while helping safeguard environmentally sensitive areas.

The Minister also announced plans to establish a forestry museum alongside the new conservation measures.

The proposed museum is expected to serve as a centre for increasing public awareness of Sri Lanka’s forests, their ecological importance and the country’s forestry heritage.

The Government’s latest move comes amid growing attention on forest conservation, environmental protection and the need to balance development activities with the preservation of natural ecosystems.

By formally declaring the 20 areas as forest reserves, the authorities are seeking to place greater emphasis on long-term conservation and sustainable management of Sri Lanka’s forest resources.