Balangoda (Rajawaka) Reforestation Project

Rajawaka area is located in the border of wet zone and intermediate zone with a range of different landscapes, rich biodiversity from Elephants, leopards to plenty of natural bee colonies, different and uniquely diverse ecosystems. Plenty of mountains and forest department managed lands including other state forests are either scrub forests or grasslands full of “Maana”, “Pangiri” or “Illuk”, which are highly invasive and fire friendly. For decades, these grass/shrubland including mountains with important catchment blocks have been continuously burnt down by intentional man made fires. The project wants to initially reforest 6 hectares of degraded land, aiming to improve overall forest cover in the area, reduce frequency of fire and improve fire resistance, improve overall water security and long Term Carbon Benefits