North-Western Province Biodiversity Profile - Sri Lanka

North-Western Province Biodiversity Profile

And

Conservation Action Plan

Sumedha Madawa1a Weerasinghe

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Biodiversity Secretariat Ministry of Environment and Natural Resoruces

December, 2008

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources acknowledges the ADB/GEF Government of Netherlands funded Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation Project (Component "COl) for providing financial assistance '

Copyright

of

and

Colombo,

Secretariat, Resources, Lanka

of Environment and

Citation

Weerasinghe S.M. (2008).North-Western Province Biodiversity

And Conservation Action Plan, Biodiversity

of

Natural

Sri .w.u..

978-955-0033-01-0

Cover

. Gamage (Jurassic beds at Tabbowa

Puttlam)

Print

December, 2008

by

Page Printed by

Darshani Samarakkody

(Pvt) Ltd, , Delkanda Junction, Gangodawila, Lanka

ii

Message from the Hon. Minister

Lanka is a small island with rich biological diversity and high

of

of

country is

universal

It IS

currently

threat from ever

Due to this extraordinary

also level

country is considered as one ofthe

biodiversi ty

hotspots.

Biodiversity Conservation is not a new phenomenon to Sri Lanka. From ancient

had close

with

and they were very much

conservation protection

of future

we all know the

first recorded sanctuary, "Mihintale" is located

Sri about

conservIng Diversity to say that Strategy

a positive approach in

and

towards

biological wealth. We

signed and

Convention on Biological

and are already in the

ofimplementing relevant provisions. I am proud

Lanka is one of

countries that

Biodiversity Conservation

Plan.

severe problems in 2007 Red List ofThreatened Fauna and Flora of

rapidly as can be seen in

our

As outlined

Lanka, the rate of biodiversity loss in

in the world.

we need to act now to

the

or hold

endangered

I believe

Provincial Biodiversity Conservation Profiles and Action

are a key strategy to

this objective. Biodiversity

are not concentrated to a

particular

of the

are distributed in various

the

111

that document would an excellent

with immense

who are working on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

to all

PataH Champika Ranawaka

Minister

N aturaJ

iii

Message from the Secretary

Lanka has signed and ratified the "Convention on Biological Diversity" is

This

developed

the Conservation and Sustainable use

as in 1994 by way of

implementing Article 6 of

consultative approach was followed

addendum.

addendum

workshops were held by

of province to

draft

recommendations and were revised when

workshops it was

that the addendum recommendations were focused on national level and adequate

Issues. a solution to this

it was decided to develop

and

at provincial level. The

Component

Area

and Wildlife Conservation

of

Ministry provided necessary financial

Ministry

that the

BDCPAP at

IS a

as it is one of first such activities

the world. This Ministry ensured that

stakeholders of the relevant province were involved in preparatory process. Thus we can be

through the collective

all

at provincial leveL I

believe that

product is very

Province.

M DJayatilIcke

Ministry

and

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1would like to take tllis opportunity to

my

to many personnel who have

kind

and constructive

in many ways to make this

a reality.

I would like to extend

a special thank to Mr. Gamini Gamage,

Biodiversity

Ministry ofEnvironment and

Natural

Overall

of this

for

literature

I would also I

my thanks to Mr. Saman

Provincial EnvironmentAuthority (NWP) for

under

to

meet the officials

different governmental and non-governmental

to acquire necessary

the preparation

Province Biodiversity Profile

And Conservation Action Plan

and the action plan.

I would like to

the role played by Mr.

Ratnayake, Environmental

and Mrs.

Premati lleke,

at the Biodiversity Secretariat, Min

and Natural Resources for their continuous

through out this whole

In

numerous ways to reach a

end of this

task. I would like to take opportunity to

thank Mrs.

Maillawa at the Provincial

Authority (NWP) arranging three

I would also

to officers. from numerous

and

districts

three workshops held in Kurunegala and for

and experience with me. They

provided very valuable information and literature without their kind assistance this exercise would

have been much tedious. I would also Iike to express my gratitude to them and would Iike to apologise for

my inability to

them individually. I also would I to extend a

thank to

c.v.s.

lIeke and LA.U.N. Gunetil

Department

Faculty Science,

of

support throughout this

and providing me with literature

In report.

Iy, I would like to thank my

Mr. H.M.S. Madawala for

his wealth

about the NWP and also assisting me in numerous ways during this period to make this task a reality.

v

CONTENTS

from the Minister

the

iv

v

Contents

VI

List of

viii

of Tables

x

Acronyms

XIII

CHAPTER J Introd uction

CHAPTER 2 B

Physical and

Aspects

2

Adm inistrative structure

3

Economical back ground

5

Climate

7

Land

8

Mineral Resources

15

Industries

15

3

areas

17

Bioregions

17

17

Zones

22

Avifaunal Zones

24

Ichthyofaunal

24

Bio Mammalian

25

4

26

26

Forests

28

Inland water

and stream network

30

water resources

40

and Marine

43

Unique and internationally

48

5

Profile

Sea grass

50

50

Donkey(Ass) Population

54

CHAPTER 6 lnsitu

Areas

55

Reserves

59

Colonial Monuments

63

vi

CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9

Exsitu Conservation Exsitu Faunal

Insitu Floral Facilities Cultural and other Bio-archeological Bio-cultural Aspects Traditional

on population

Man made

CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 References Appendices

Illegal Human Invasive Mite Sand Mining

Action Plan

64

64

67

67

78

79

87

87

90

90

91

92

94

98

101

101

102

103

104

110

112

VI!

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