Ramsar status for Sri Lankan Sanctuary
[November 21, 2001 - 11.15 GMT]

The Annaiwilundawa Sanctuary has been declared as Sri Lanka’s second Ramsar site and been added to the list of Wetlands of International Importance. 

The Annaiwilundawa Wetland in the Puttalam District, in the North West, covers an area of more than 1,397 hectares. The Sanctuary is comprised of an ancient system of human-made cascading tanks or reservoirs ranging from 12 and 50 hectares each, dating back to the 12^th Century.  Around 40% of the vertebrate species, a few species of threatened fish, amphibians, birds, mammals and migratory birds fleeing harsh winters are found in Annaiwilundawa in Sri Lanka.   

The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. The name of the Convention is popularly termed the "Ramsar Convention". Ramsar is the first of the modern global inter-governmental treaties on conservation and the prudent use of natural resources.

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Last Updated Date: November 21, 2001  -  11.15 GMT.