Colombo, bio-diversity richest among Asian cities
A Colombo wetland The city of Colombo. What comes to mind, a concrete jungle? But if you look a little closer you'll find much more. Did you know that an amazing 55 species of birds, 165 species of woody plants, 20 percent of all woody plants in Sri Lanka and 16 species of butterflies have been recorded from various urban refuges? An Urban Biodiversity Survey conducted by IUCN The World Conservation Union shows that urban areas house an abundance of birds, butterflies, woody plants, small mammals and insects. The pressure on the environment by an ever-increasing population is on the rise. With only 10 to 15 percent of natural and semi-natural habitats remaining in the world, it is a comfort to think that urban areas are not the typical concrete jungles we expect it to be. In fact, you might find some really unexpected places in the list of sort after urban refuges. The most unpredictable of all may be the Borella Cemetery. Other than serving as a peaceful resting place for the dead...