Sri Lanka

The tsunamis of Sunday 26 December 2004 struck without apparent warning on a clear day. Not only was there a devastating loss of life, but coastal resources and infrastructure in the Indian Ocean suffered massive destruction as well. This book focuses on the impacts on the natural coastal resources, especially the coral reefs and associated ecosystems, and the responses by the international community.

Water ecosystems have long been perceived by decision makers as having little value simply because their economic value is poorly understood and rarely articulated. Calculating the economic value of an ecosystem is a means of providing information which can be used to make better and more informed choices about how resources are managed, used and allocated.

The Lunama and Kalametiya lagoons are located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. Part of the Dry Zone of the country, their importance led to their being designated in 1984 as a Sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. The objective of this study was to compile a comprehensive set of baseline data on biodiversity in the Lunama-Kalametiya wetland system in order to facilitate management of this protected area.

The ancient tank system supported people’s livelihoods in times of foreign invasions. These livelihoods were environment friendly, and had the capacity to feed many a generation who constructed them. Today, many rural people still use these tanks for irrigation and other purposes. IUCN Sri Lanka Country Office implemented a project on integrating wetland ecosystem values into river basin management in collaboration with the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka.

In spite of the fact that Sri Lanka has a relatively high Human Development Index (HDI) overall, the majority of families living in coastal areas fall into the poorest category. This Poverty Environment Nexus study was intended to assess the main causal mechanisms that bring about poverty and environmental degradation.

This publication, which contains 23 papers selected from several regional and national meetings, including the 2003 Regional Preparatory Meeting held in Dhaka, tries to capture many pioneering works in participatory conservation in the region and also tries to identify gaps in ecosystem representation in South Asia. It brings out many contemporary issues related to conservation while pooling national experiences in managing protected areas.

Being an island, Sri Lanka is rich in coastal and marine habitats. Sub-target_idal habitats such as coral and rocky reefs are abundant, along with large soft bottom habitats. In addition, inter-target_idal and coastal habitats are an important part of the marine ecosystem and provide shelter for a large number of plant and animal species.

This publication presents the proceedings of the National Symposium on Wetland Conservation and Management held in 2003 in Colombo. An Introduction to Wetland Conservation in Sri Lanka is followed by ten papers on various themes on wetlands presented by eminent scientists along with the recommendations arising from the symposium.