Bio diversity

BIO-DIVERSITY
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Biological diversity is a collective item that encompasses the variety of animals plants and micro-organisms on earth and their relative abundance .

The biological important places in Homagama
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Low lands
1.Barawa –wetland
2.Meegoda –wetland
3.Baduwila –wetland
4.Palagama & Heraliyawala wetland
5.Kelani river valley
6.Pusweli oya river valley

High lands
1.Kurugala range
2.Hanwatta rock
3.Blackperl peak
4.Habanhena south end range
5.Ambulgama peak
6.Lenagala peak

The bio diversity is therefore crucial in.,

-Providing food, construction material, raw material for industry and medicine.

-Providing the basis for genetic improvements to domesticated plants and animals.

-Maintaining eco system functions, including evolutionary processes.

-Storing and cycling of nutrients essential for life e.g. carbon ,nitrogen, oxygen.

-Absorbing and breaking down pollutants, including organic wastes, pesticides, heavy metals.

-Recharging ground water ,protecting catchments basins.

-Producing soil and protecting it form excessive erosion.

Environmental Co-habitant Strategies & Management
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1.Conservation of all wetlands ,river valleys, agriculture and paddy field
2.Reduction of vehicle & industrial emission and pollution
3.Conservation of rocks & peaks.
4. Preparation of urban landscape master plan integrated in to urban development plan including action projects.
5. Separate collection and disposal of hazardous waste.
6. Reduced waste generation volume by resource recovery method.(3R concept)
7.Sanitory land fill.
8. Provisions of area’s for storm water detention/retention & recharge of ground water.

Relevant Institutions & Acts
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1. The department of agriculture is responsible for agricultural land use in wetland
areas.

2. The irrigation department has the responsibility for management of water resource in
the wetland.

3. The Sri Lanka land Reclamation & development corporation is responsible for
development of all low lying areas, including the marshy wetlands.

For there more, a number of local , regional, and national bodies are responsible for land-use planning in more or less detailed manner.

From the conservation point of view, wetlands do not consist of a set of independent living and non- living elements, but they constitute ecosystems.

These wetland ecosystems are productive many of them provide paddy and other agricultural uses. In others the productivity is not so visible from the human point of view.

Development Proposals
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1. Establishment of a wetland unit within the pradeshiya Shaba

2. Development of methodologies for conservation.

3. Development of a wetland evaluation system , providing guidelines and criteria for conservation or for conditional exploitation.

4. Site surveys of wetland and preparation at standard inventory guidelines.

5. Preparation of conservation management plans .

6. Creation of public awareness on wetland and their values.

7. Development of a system of community participation in wetland management planning in Hanwella/Artigala /Baduwila wetland area.

8. Raising awareness on wetlands and their values amongst the population.

9. Investigation of opportunities to decrease the financial burden for nature conservation by development of cost recovery systems.

10. Prohibited the disposed waste , discharge of effluent, dredged or fill materials.

Measures for environmental quality enhancement
1. Monitoring water quality air quality air and noise level.
2. Evaluation of location with scenic, cultural, historical, ecological values.

Bio - Diversity

homagama