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| Sunday, 3 April 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A closer look at the coastline by Prof. Hemanthi Ranasinghe (Professor of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayawardenapura) Three months into the December 26 tsunami that devastated two thirds of the coast, and another earthquake sending fears of another tsunami, it is time to look back at the coastline, understand where we have gone wrong and rectify our mistakes before taking a forward step, as it is almost always never too late to say sorry and rectify.
Sri Lanka has a coastline of 1,585 km. The coastal region covers 74 DS Divisions, comprising 23 per cent of the country's land area twentyfive per cent of the population live on the coast. It is responsible for about 89 per cent of the fish production in the country, houses about 70 per cent of tourist hotels and 62 per cent of industrial units. Sri Lanka's coasts and beaches are among the most scenic in the world and are an aesthetic resource. Coasts provide important minerals including sand and ilmenite, the coastal region functions as an important sink to most waste generated in the country. Issues and challenges Despite existing coast conservation regulations the coast constantly suffers from human induced actions. Some of the most important problems in the coastal zone are coastal erosion, coastal pollution, haphazard construction of dwellings, unsustainable fishery and destruction of mangroves. Coastal erosion is both natural and human induced. The prominent cause of this problem is identified as the continuing high level of river sand mining and mining of beach sand and sea coral. Sri Lanka is said to be loosing 300,000 to 500,000 square meters of land per year along the Western and South Western coastal region, and it is estimated that 55 per cent of the coast has already been eroded. Mangroves covering about 16,000 ha have been used as timber and fuelwood over the years and also converted to aquaculture sites and human settlements. (Coastal Zone Management Plan. 2003). With regard to the fishery resource, the use of adverse capture techniques in fishery, such as the adoption of blast fishing, bottom-set nets and nylon drift gill nets have had adverse effects on the reef fish, coral reefs, turtles and small marine mammals. As a result, many nearshore waters are now over exploited and threatened with destruction. The lobster resource in the Southern coast has been depleted due to indiscriminate harvesting of gravid females and juveniles. The export trade in ornamental fish which ranks next to that of prawns in terms of value, and the levels of exploitation of such fish are widely considered to be unsustainable. This trade exports between 200-300 marine species and invertebrates but is not adequately monitored or managed. In addition, the use of moxy-nets for collection of reef fish for the aquarium trade, has seriously damaged the coral reefs. The coastal biodiversity as well as the naturally occurring prawn and fish resources in the lagoons of the North West coast are depleted due to siltation and pollution caused by unregulated discharge of sewage and untreated waste water from industries. All in all, it is clear that despite the regulations, man has taken the lead in his pursuit for short termed economic development, in destructing his own natural ecosystems which provide stability to his very being. Way forward There is a famous saying that there is a silver line in every grey cloud. Likewise, we can make use of this horrible, unprecedented and extremely sad event to give hope not only to humans but also to nature, so that together, we can move towards a more sustainable future. It is imperative to plan the reconstruction to benefit both man and nature. There is a resurgence of effort for greater collaboration and co-ordination, not only among the institutions which are mandated but also with interested others. This is apparent from the one page notices placed on newspapers, asking for ideas, constructive criticisms etc. from the general public. Therefore, this is a good opportunity to get together not only to repair what was there before the tsunami, but to get together to achieve long term sustainability to the nation and its people. For that it is imperative to bring to the notice of the people the existing regulatory system, the set backs, issues and challenges and how we can all get together to mitigate them and effectively move forward. The need for integrated management to conserve, develop and sustainable use the coastal resources had long been identified and accordingly a comprehensive Coastal Zone Management Plan had been prepared by the Coast Conservation Department (CCD) in 1990 which has been revised many times ie 1993, 2003 etc. This line of action is made urgent and more pronounced by the aftermath of tsunami. The Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supplies has taken the leadership in the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort with the close collaboration of other agencies both government and non government, the private sector and interested personnel. This gets recorded as one of the few occasions where citizens of Sri Lanka have rallied together towards one goal. We also have to put our heads together to think out the best way to move forward for our land and its people. We have to be guided by the principle of sustainability as it is the best safeguard we have to face any calamities let it be natural or manmade. Land zoning UDA has embarked on a plan of reconstruction and rehabilitation in the tsunami affected areas. Having the safety of the resident of the affected areas uppermost in their minds, they have zoned the coastal zone into many parts; 100m to 300m from high water line. In the initial 100m which is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters such as cyclones, no new construction will be allowed. In the 100-200m zone and also 200-300m zone, construction will be permitted on a resisted level. In the Eastern Coast where susceptibility to cyclones is higher, the no construction zone will be increased to 200-250m depending on the locality and the state of vulnerability. Further, they are also guided by the contours where no construction will be allowed less than 300m from mean sea level. Planting the 100m zone Another important step is to plant up the 100m stretch from the mean high water line all around the country. The Central Environmental Authority and the Forest Department are taking the leadership in this venture with the assistance of other related agencies. This will provide an effective barrier against cyclones and other natural disasters giving much needed protection to the coastal communities and property. However, there is a greater challenge because of the urgency of the operation. Proper selection of plants, especially those which grow well in saline situations, ensuring growth and maintenance, ensuring aesthetic quality of the shoreline, ensuring public participation as well as public access and use of these beach parks is vital for the success of this venture. The existing littoral vegetation should be strengthened while planting other species. Those which are most suitable to grow in saline environments are Casuarina, Mudilla, Kohomba, Acacia auriculiformis, Kottamba, and Coconut. However, planting according to aesthetic and ecological requirements is imperative as these can be eventually used as beach parks by the general public. Not only those who plant trees but many others i.e., architects, planners, designers, private and public nurseries, personnel and organisations entrusted with the maintenance are needed in this venture. Further, proper coordination and also an integrated effort is needed to make this dream a reality. Other factors The agencies entrusted with the coastal zone should enforce the regulations more stringently or the efforts to achieve a sustainability in the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort will be extremely short lived. The factors which contributes to the degradation of the coastal zone should be reversed. Sea coral mining and destruction of mangroves should be completely halted with more effective enforcement of regulations. Hotels and other dwellings which send solid and liquid waste should be forced to treat their waste prior to discharge, failing which they should be adequately punished so that they will refrain from doing so in the future. The Special Area Management Planning Process where all the stakeholders to the coastal zone participate actively in the management of the coastal zone should be extended to all the coastal areas. Coastal communities and others in general should be adequately made aware to be more prepared for any natural disasters that may befall them. Disaster management should be taught right from the primary school. Although it may not be possible to build cyclone/tsunami free housing, it is imperative that areas be designated and built to provide shelters to people in the event of a natural disaster and several demonstrations are done at a regular basis. New birds in Uda Walawe by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne
Eco-tourists and birdwatchers who have heeded calls to travel to tsunami struck Sri Lanka, to restart tourism, are being rewarded with sightings of rare migrants. Red-headed Bunting, Black-headed Bunting two migrant species of birds, not recorded before in Sri Lanka have now been observed at Uda Walawe National Park. Uda Walawe, better known for elephants, has suddenly become a hot spot for rare migrant birds. Adding to the list of rarities are Citrine Wagtail and White Wagtail recorded at the Uda Walawe Causeway, a few meters from the end of the embankment enroute to the park office. Inside the national park, the scarce but regular migrants Blyth's Pipit and Indian Red-rumped Swallows have also been observed. The story of the Buntings began with Deepal Warakagoda (Eco holidays Maser Naturalist) who was on tour. The discoverer of the Serendib Scops Owl, had been having a successful tour with sightings of both the Serendib Scops Owl and the Ceylon Bay Owl. This was the first time that it has been seen. At Wirawila, Deepal met Susantha Weerappulige, a tracker from Uda Walawe National Park. Susantha drew Deepal's attention to an unidentified sparrow like bird he had seen. Deepal made note of the presence of the bird's location at the Hulankapolla Junction. When he arrived at Uda Walawe National Park, with his clients, he searched the area around Hulankapolla Junction. To his delight, he found a Red-headed Bunting, a species not recorded from Sri Lanka before. The Red-headed Bunting flew away and joined another bird. To his astonishment, Deepal found that it was a Black-headed Bunting, yet another species which had not been recorded from Sri Lanka. The presence of the Buntings means another family of birds, the Embezeridae are added to Sri Lanka. In December 2003 when Uditha Hettige (Eco Holidays Master Naturalist) found a Common Rosefinch in Horton Plains from the bird family Fringillidae. Salim Ali and Dillon Ripley in their ten volume Birds of India and Pakistan gives the breeding ranges of birds recorded in the Indian Sub-continent. The Red-headed Bunting (Emberiza bruniceps) breeds in Baluchistan. The Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala breeds in Iran, the Middle-East, Caucasus, Southern Russia and the Balkans. A ringing record shows that a Black-headed Bunting travelled 7,000 km to its winter grounds. Both species are known to winter regularly in India. Inside the park, Deepal had observed up to 30 Blyth's Pipits (Anthus godlewskii) and Indian Red-rumped Swallows (Hirundo daurica) near the entrance. We were able to photograph both species inside the park. Previously, Sri Lanka was considered to have a resident race of the Red-rumped Swallow. But now it has been 'split' by Ornithologist Pamela Rasmussen into a new species endemic to Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Swallow (Hirundo hyperythra). The Sri Lanka list therefore now has two migrant races, the Indian Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica erythropygia) and the much scarcer Nepali Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica nipalensis). Whilst searching for another look at the White Wagtail, we found an even rarer migrant, a Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola). The species has only been recorded on four occasions in Sri Lanka. The bird we observed was an adult in winter plumage. The Yellow Wagtail, a regular migrant was also present. But the lack of black on the face, the yellow area curving around and behind the ear coverts, the white under-tail coverts and the extensive area of grey on the mantle, helped to easily separate the Citrine Wagtail from the Yellow Wagtails. The total number of species of birds reliably recorded in Sri Lanka now stands at 440 species. CEJ goes to court The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has filed a case against the Coast Conservation Department requesting a strict enforcement of the Coastal Protection Zone and setback areas as buffer zone for the protection of the coastal environment and millions of people living in the coastal belt. In the aftermath of the devastating tsunami, the government has decided to declare a coastal conservation (buffer) zone of 100 metre around the coastal belt except in the Northern and Eastern provinces to protect the coastal population and environment. The CEJ, however, claims that the future of the said buffer zone remains uncertain since it has no legislative sanction and due to the opposition by certain political parties and segments of the public. It also requests to revise the said 'Coastal Zone Management Plan to safeguard the coastal belt. Ant invasion ahoy! Global warming may lead to an unexpected threat from the insect world - swarming invasions of tiny ants - suggests new research. The study of 665 ant colonies in environments ranging from tropical rainforests to frozen tundra suggests that in warmer environments the ants' body size shrinks, on average, while the number of individuals in the colony booms. Global warming might shrink ant workers by as much as a third, says Michael Kaspari at the University of Oklahoma, who carried out the study: "And since ant species with small workers appear to be particularly successful at invading, ant invasions - already destructive - may become more common in a warming world. Worker ant size varied from the largest - the bala or bullet ant which is about the size of the end segment of an adult human's thumb - to ants so small they can only be seen with a microscope. Some large species, like leafcutter ants, eat different foods to other ant species, and therefore may respond differently to any warming. "Leafcutter ants have tapped into a rich food source, that of fresh leaves, and their energy constraints may well be very different to those of most other ants. New Scientist Arctic wildlife threatened The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is already threatened by global warming due to dumping of industrial waste from the oil industry, is loosing its natural resources. Polar bears and other mammals have less and less access to food sources, as they depend on melting sea ice to provide platforms for hunting and fishing. According to the Green Peace drilling in the Arctic is no solution to energy crisis and the US government should be investing the tax dollars in clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind. |
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In order to do this first we should understand the importance of the
coastline, the issues and challenges it is confronted with. 
