State of the Environment

1. Biodiversity: The increase in the Island’s population, accompanied by expansion of the land area under urban, agricultural and industrial development have contributed to the loss and reduction of extents of natural forest ecosystems their inherent species as well as genetic diversity. The proportion of endemic flowering plants in relation to 100 square miles of land area in the wet and dry zones is 5.71 and 0.11 respectively. Removal of timber and other forest products affects biodiversity both at species and genetic levels. It also leads to degradation of the quality of the ecosystems. The moratorium on logging natural forests has considerably reduced the impact on biodiversity although some degree of illegal logging still continues. Mining for precious stones: Mining in natural ecosystems in the wet and intermediate zones result in the complete removal of natural vegetation. Wild species have been increasingly collected for commercial purposes. Ornamental aquatic fish and plants for the aquarium trade, ornamental plants like orchids and ferns, and wild relatives of agricultural and medicinal species are now being collected. Among the freshwater fish, 75% of the indigenous fish species, including 21 endemic species, are collected from the wild. Scientific management of natural ecosystems is still in its infancy. Monitoring the condition of these ecosystems and initiating timely measures to counteract adverse changes have not received the attention it deserves. However, the recent past has seen a significant improvement in management strategies. With the ban on logging in 1990, commercial extraction of timber from natural forests has been curtailed.

2. Coastal Habitats: Almost a third (32 %) of the country’s population, two-thirds (65%) of the total urban population, two-thirds (67%) of the industrial facilities and over 80% of the tourist infrastructure accommodated within only one-, fourth (24% ) of the island’s land area having a coastal boundary (CCD, 1992; MoFE, 1999; CCD, 2000). Projections estimate that coastal migration will continue to increase coastal population densities to 446 and even over 1,000 persons per sq. km (CCD, 1992; de Silva, 1997). The provision of necessary infrastructure to expanding coastal communities and industries will inevitably bring with it enhanced pressures on the dwindling coastal resources.Possible over-collecting, inappropriate techniques (moxy net) of aquarium fish collecting, holding and transport in the export aquarium trade, damage and destroy the reef habitat. Coral mining, dynamite blast fishing, ghost nets from bottom nets, unplanned expansion of domestic and overseas tourism in coastal areas contribute to further destruction of the reef structure and reef habitat. Reefs are damaged by careless snorkelling and diving by tourists. Increased sewage pits in the tourist areas of Beruwala, Bentota and Hikkaduwa have caused pollution of ground water and domestic wells. Sand mining carried out extensively affects beach nourishment and the integrity of the shoreline. Excessive sand mining from riverbeds would increase saline intrusion and riverbank collapse. The destruction of mangroves and interruption of natural drainage has reduced flood - buffering capacity. The inadequacies in integration of policy frameworks have resulted in unplanned and disjointed coastal activities. These include expansion of industries, building of hotels, over-visitation, etc at sensitive coastal locations such as the Hikkaduwa Nature Reserve. Ignoring the time-tested “Precautionary Principle” (where activities with damage potential are undertaken only after careful verification) is a perceived weakness of the planning process. Inappropriate training activities also reflect the need to develop a long-term integrated and effective approach to implement coastal management initiatives

3. Land Degradation: About 10% of the tea land and 25% of the rubber land have been abandoned due to reduced productivity caused by soil erosion (Griggs, 1988). The farming communities, as well as the policy planners, have not adequately appreciated the “real” cost of erosion to the economy because its adverse impacts are not immediately manifest. Soil erosion appears to be acute in the mid country intermediate zone particularly on arable cropping land due to a combination of factors. These include the large extents of land under plantation crops, fragmentation of land due to increase in population, encroachment of sensitive lands and the existence of immature brown loam soils vulnerable to soil erosion. The pressures on land leading to soil erosion also emanate from the commercial sector. It has been established that soil erosion is very high on abandoned and poorly managed tea lands. Poorly managed tea lands as well as abandoned tea lands lose sediments 15 times more than in a homestead, and 20 to 22 times more than in the wet zone forests (Wickramasinghe -1988). A large extent of abandoned tea lands in the UMC has been converted to forest plantations or new settlements (leading to an increase of home gardens), or has been abandoned to low intensity uses such as sparsely used annual croplands, grass or scrublands. A number of administrative interventions and initiatives such as tea, rubber, coconut and export crop subsidies, are being implemented by respective agencies. These schemes ensure that appropriate soil conservation measures are adopted.

4. Waste Disposal: The current population in Sri Lanka is close to 19 million of which 72 % is rural (Central Bank, 2000). Waste generation is low in rural areas and the little waste generated is mainly biodegradable. In most rural areas, management of solid waste is undertaken at individual or community level and is within the carrying capacity of the local environment. By contrast, the urban areas are densely populated. The best estimate of total waste generation in Sri Lanka is around 6,400 tonnes per day. The prevalent method of disposal of solid waste in Sri Lanka is open dumping. This comprises nonengineered sites where waste is tipped haphazardly without environmental controls. A majority of open dumps are in low lying areas such as marshes and abandoned paddy fields infilled with solid waste primarily as a means of land reclamation. In the absence of a secure disposal facility, hazardous industrial waste is generally stored on site without adequate management. Alternatively, some industries dispose of their hazardous waste together with other municipal waste, or just dump the waste on vacant land. Some industries sell the waste for reuse. For example, waste oil is sold for treating timber and as a fuel for burners. Reduction in flood retention areas due to a majority of disposal sites being located in lowlying areas such as marshy lands and abandoned paddy lands, Reduction and pollution of wetland habitats, in sites such as Attidiya and Muthurajawela marshes, Aesthetic impairment due to wind blown litter and waste left uncovered during and after cessation of operations, Degradation of land due to leachate seepage from uncontrolled dumping with adverse effects on soil fertility and productivity. With the decomposition of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), settling is unpredictable with a possible risk of structural instability and collapse. In the absence of engineering methods to treat leachate generated from decomposing garbage, it enters groundwater and surface waters. Recycling of materials is carried out through an informal market driven system. Items are recovered at various points of the waste stream: at household level, collection and transport by LA (Local Authorities) workers or at the final disposal site by rag pickers and municipal workers. The retrieved materials are sold to collection shops where they are cleaned and sold for recycling by local industrialists or exported overseas. It is unlikely that incineration would be adopted as a means of treating municipal waste, as the waste is mainly organic in nature, has high moisture content and a low calorific value.

5. Pollution of Inland Waters: Sri Lanka has abundant water resources in aggregated terms, but this overall picture is misleading owing to the high degree of variation in the availability of water, both seasonally and regionally (Anon 1998a). Many of the 41 wetland sites are facing threats owing to conversion into housing, agriculture and salt pans, with some affected by siltation and pollution. In the southwestern coastal zone, wetlands act as sponges by gradually releasing flood waters and storm water received from urban areas. Agricultural activities exert significant pressures on water resources. Rice, as the staple food of the country, occupies about 56% of arable land and uses about 90% of the available water (Anon 2000). Agriculture is the most important sector in the economy of Sri Lanka in terms of land utilisation (37110 sq. km) and the employment potential. Agriculture contributes 20% to the total GDP of the country. The highest proportion (51%) of the urban population is centered in the Western Province which includes Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts. It is estimated that 550,000 persons live in low income settlements in the CMR which could be classified as: (a) slums (b) shanties (c) unserviced semi-urban neighborhoods (d) labour quarters of Local authorities and (e) relocated new settlements. It is revealed that only 19% of the population in CMR was served by piped sewers and 59% by onsite facilities. The total quantity of excreta disposed in this area is estimated at 726 metric tonnes/day, 59% of which is released into earth through septic tanks and pit latrines. 138 MT sewage are released daily into waterways owing to grossly inadequate sewerage systems. On-site systems such as pit latrines also contaminate ground water. The major effluent generating industries have been identified as textile dyeing and bleaching, food processing, leather tanning, metal finishing, agro produce, sugar, distilleries, breweries, pulp and paper, leather and tanning and mineral products. According to CEA data, about 50% of the industries with EPL possess pollution abatement measures.

Youth and the Environment
The government has initiated several youth programmes from the national level to the grass roots levels. The CES and the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) plays an important role in implementing diverse environmental protection programmes with the collaboration of schools and youth clubs from all parts of the country. Projects such as:
• Awareness programmes
• Polythene and plastic disposal
• Street dramas
• Posters/ banners/ leaflets

Sri Lanka promotes environmentally friendly initiatives such as :
• Rural electrification schemes using wind energy
• Mini hydro power schemes
• Recycling paper
• Bio gas compost projects to reduce garbage in the environment
• Cloth bags instead of polythene bags
• Eco-friendly tourism

Contact
National Focal Point
Name of the organisation: Sri Lanka Environment Exploration Society
Contact Person for SAYEN: Mr. Ruwan
Email: slees@sltnet.lk

Address
504, Kandy Road
Meepitiya, Kegalle, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94-035-2232678