Tropical forests under threat

Every year, more than 15 million hectares of tropical forests are cut down, releasing millions of tons of carbon emission into the atmosphere, says a US environmental organisation ‘The Nature Conservancy.’ According to them, a study commission by the UK Treasury has reported that reducing or eliminating deforestation is a highly cost-effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to save the planet.  Without action now, they say, the world’s tropical forests will be lost by the end of this century.   

Taking a cue from this revelation, Sadaharitha Plantations in Sri Lanka are offering investors the opportunity to contribute to afforestation and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while reaping sustainable high returns in the long term through commercial forestry.  

Sadaharitha Chairman Sathish Navarathna said: “We have over 2000 acres of forestry and a portfolio of over 26,000 satisfied customers all over Sri Lanka who realise the enormous potential the investment offers in economic terms in addition to contributing in a big way to preserving the environment, not only by reducing greenhouse carbon emission, but also by protecting the land during inclement weather conditions.”   

It is a noteworthy fact that although tropical forests cover only 12% of the planet, it is the habitat of more than half of the world’s plants and animal species. At the current rate of deforestation this precious ecosystem will disappear within the next 100 years.  

Sadaharitha Plantations, the winner of the Gold Green Award in 2012, is engaged in forest plantations management with Sandalwood, Teak, Mahogony, Rambutan and Agarwood to earn foreign exchange for the country.

Dr. Upul Subasinghe, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura who is conducting research on Forest Management of non-timber forest products such as Agarwood and Sandalwood, commended Sadaharitha Plantations on their efforts to promote commercial forestry which helps protect Sri Lanka’s environment while enriching the economy and said “planting forests offer a significant cooling benefit with the sun’s heat absorbed by the dark forest canopy, contributing to reduced global warming.”

According to a paper presented by Dr. Subasinghe in 2015 with regard to the carbon fixation values of plantations managed by Sadaharitha, after 20 years of planting, a Teak tree will store 0.55MT of carbon equivalent to 2.017MT of CO2. In 20 years a Sandalwood tree will store 0.12MT of carbon equivalent to 0.44MT of CO2. In 8 years after planting an Aquilaria (Agarwood) tree it will store 1.14MT of carbon and 4.18MT atmospheric CO2. More than 2000 acres of Sadaharitha forestry consist of above species, including Mahogany and Rambutan that will be directly involved in the fixation of carbon and atmospheric CO2 for many years. This emphasises a greater value of commercial forestry, while delivering remarkable monetary benefits.

The ‘Green Economy Concept’ that Sadaharitha has adopted mitigates global warming and is defined by United Nations as one that improves human well-being while reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. The company has provided over 900 direct green employment opportunities and introduced innovative forest-based income generation to the villagers living in areas adjacent to the Sadaharitha forests. Sadaharitha Plantations will soon be celebrating 15 years in the business of commercial forestry in Sri Lanka.