Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCELERATED MAHAWELI DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA
N
Roads
District Capitals
Systems under the Accelerated
Mahaweli Programme
Proposed systems under
Master plan
20
0
20
Kilometers
LOCATION MAP OF
AMDP
Figure 15.5.
The Mahaweli Project.
Impacts of Central Highlands Sri Lanka
Disturbances of the ecologically sensitive areas in Central Highlands in
Sri Lanka
Although Highlands of Sri Lanka have an extraordinarily attractive scenery
with a very high value of biodiversity, nature conservation receives hardly
any attention and is often disappointing (Tolisano et al. 1993, IEG 2012
).
Due to encroachment on the environmentally sensitive areas, biodiversity
is at risk. Cultivation and construction activities along hill slopes are also
risky (Gunatillake 2008, Wickramagamage 1990).
Exploiting the environmentally sensitive locations has a history going
back about 15,000 year. However, during the early stages, when land was
used for food production and residential purposes, these disturbances were
relatively low. The upper catchments areas of the major rivers are situated
in the Highlands of Sri Lanka were stripped of the natural vegetation to
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