The Hon. Anton Jayakody - Deputy Minister of Environment

¶ 01 [4.33 p.m.]

¶ 02 Mr. Presiding Member, Hon. Ravindra Bandara’s motion is timely. Sri Lanka has about 4,000 plant species; roughly 35% are endemic.

¶ 03 Pine was promoted after University of Georgia studies in the late 1950s–60s suggested improving low‑organic hillside soils by stimulating microbial processes with pine litter. Pine develops extensive root systems; after felling, its biomass decomposes, raising soil organic matter and microbial activity—potentially aiding reforestation. Some of our postgraduates also trained there, which may have influenced policy.

¶ 04 Sri Lanka began pine in 1967; by 1999 about 16,000 ha existed—about 9,600 ha under the Forest Department, over 6,000 ha on Land Reform Commission lands, and about 320 ha on estates/private land—mainly in Ratnapura, Kegalle, Matale, Badulla, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya, including Mahaweli catchments. It saved some foreign exchange and provided wood and pulp.

¶ 05 However, problems arose: rapid growth drives high water uptake; needles are coated with a waxy cutin layer, resisting decomposition, forming thick mats that intercept rainfall and reduce percolation—lowering groundwater and increasing evapotranspiration. For these reasons, environmentalists argue it should be treated as invasive; while not officially listed, it warrants phased removal.

¶ 06 We currently remove 200–300 ha annually, but more may be needed, under a committee including NBRI (landslides), CEA, Forest Department, and Water Resources Board, both to govern removals and to determine suitable broadleaf native replacements. Our ecosystem is biodiverse; monocultures reduce that. This is a good motion and we should act.

¶ 07 Thank you.