Madu Ganga Biodiversity Area

The Madu Ganga Biodiversity area at Balapitiya is Sri Lanka's second largest wetland and one of the last remaining tracts of pristine mangrove forests in the country. Fed by the river of the same name, its many islands not only provide a sanctuary for a huge variety of animal and plant species, but are also home to many local families who have lived there for generations. The area has a significant impact on the local ecosystem by storing fresh water during the rainy season and acting as a trap for nutrients that run off the neighbouring spice plantations. Madu Ganga also conforms to the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty that “provides the framework for national action and international co-operation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources”.