Sri Lanka to gazette first geothermal wetland in Kapurella

The government decided to conserve and officially gazette the Kapurella hot water wetland in Maha Oya, Ampara, which is recognised as the first and only geothermal wetland identified in Sri Lanka.

Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody and a group of officials visited the 20.1-hectare ecosystem in the Bogamuyaya Grama Niladhari Division on the 12th to observe the site.

While typical hot springs in the country take the form of small ponds, Kapurella features a unique marshy nature spread across a wide area.

Water heated by underground rock layers bubbles to the surface, creating a habitat for specialised bacteria, microorganisms, aquatic plants, and various bird species that withstand high temperatures.

The Ministry of Environment, National Water Resources Board, Central Environmental Authority, and the Department of Forest Conservation are currently making arrangements to declare the area a protected zone.