Thalangama Tank

Thalangama Tank was built during the era of King Parakramabahu VI (1551-1547 AD) for paddy cultivation and is situated close to the ancient city of Kotte. The areas between Akurugoda and Thalangama north use the runoff water for paddy cultivation. The tank is an important habitat for water birds, functioning as an urban biodiversity refuge, as it is surrounded by densely populated human settlements of the Colombo District. The site is situated in the Madiwela catchment area within the Kelani river basin, which includes the Colombo flood detention area.

Udawalawe Reservoir

Uda Walawe Reservoir is a large multipurpose storage tank constructed in the mid 1960s by damming the Walawe Ganga as part of a plan to develop the irrigation capacity of land in the dry zone of southern Sri Lanka. Apart from irrigating adjoining agricultural lands, it generates about 6GWh of hydroelectricity per year. The reservoir is situated within the Udawalawe National Park, and therefore plays a significant role in maintaining the rich biodiversity of the area, and is particularly important for water birds and elephants. It is a very popular tourist destination and is the third most visited park in the country.

Unawatuna Reef

Unawatuna contains a shallow coral reef as well as numerous rocky reef habitats. The beach is popular for tourism and surrounding reefs are popular for diving and snorkelling. The reef is degraded, mainly due to coral bleaching, while human activities continue to pressurize remaining reef resources. The area has now been selected as a site for SAM by the CCD.