The government has decided to declare 50 additional forests as protected reserves in line with the Vanaspati national programme, to mark World Forest Day on March 21 this year, Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi announced.
The Minister made these remarks today (17) at a media briefing held at the Department of Government Information to raise awareness about World Forest Day and the ongoing Vanaspati national initiative.
He noted that the theme for this year’s World Forest Day is “Forests and the Economy.” In line with the occasion, a special programme had initially been planned for March 23 in Nuwara Eliya.
However, due to the current global political and economic situation, the government has decided to limit public events. Accordingly, the planned celebration in Nuwara Eliya has been cancelled. Instead, several activities related to World Forest Day will be conducted within the premises of the Ministry of Environment.
The Minister further stated that, in line with the public mandate received by the government, the Vanaspati programme has been implemented as a special national initiative since last year. Under this programme, 29 forests were gazetted and declared as protected reserves in 2024, with conservation efforts already underway.
The declaration of 50 additional forest reserves this year marks a significant step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s environmental protection and sustainable development efforts
