Facets of Lanka:

Two biodiversity 'hotspots' in the southwest

Derrick SCHOKMAN

CONVENTION: May 22 is recognised as 'World Biodiversity Day'. It is meant to remind us that the Convention of Biological Diversity was introduced at the Earth Summit or UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

The convention was ratified by 150 nations including Sri Lanka. It was a clear expression that biological diversity in flora and fauna was being significantly reduced by human activity, and that action was required to develop national strategies for their conservation.

A biodiversity action plan for Sri Lanka was consequently prepared. But as resources for this purpose were limited, it was necessary to identify and take action in 'hotspots' where conservation was urgently required.

'Hotspots' are locations featuring a very high level of species diversity and endemism, which are especially threatened by human activity.

Two hotspots were selected for priority action. Namely the wet lowland forests in the Galle and Matara districts which are under threat from high population density in the surrounding areas and an acute shortage of land, and the near-shore coral reefs in the southwest which have been severely degraded mainly due to coral mining.

Fragmented

In the Galle and Matara districts, except for the World Heritage Sinharaja Forest (11,280 ha) and the KDN or Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakadeniya forest reserve (10,139 ha), there are only fragmented remains of a few hundred hectares each.

These forests are important because they are the last remnants of the once widespread mid-miocene tropical rainforests in this country.

As such they are floristically the richest in biodiversity with a high level of endemics which are rare and localised.

The forest master plan of 1996 and the current programmes of the Forest Department, assisted by the IUCN, have provided the base to move into an action phase of biodiversity conservation in this region.

These programmes include (1) protection of the Sinharaja as a national heritage wilderness area (2) a declared moratorium on all felling in natural forests of the wet zone until 'conservation forests' are identified where no commercial logging will ever be allowed again (3) a study of the KDN forest reserve for the dual purpose of logging and biodiversity conservation and (4) a participatory form of forest management involving local communities to prevent encroachment and damaging use of the forest.

What is required now is for the Forest Department to strengthen its capacity in the scientific and management aspects of biodiversity conservation and its community mobilisation programmes to ensure the sustainable use of forest resources.

With the support of the IUCN, the department has prepared management plans and activities in the buffer zones of several forests to benefit the communities living in those areas.

For centuries the coastal belt of fringing coral reefs have been a valuable resource for coastal communities. They are important habitats of marine fauna and flora for sustaining the coastal fishery and containing coastal erosion.

A typical reef supports 80 to 50 species of coral dominated by Acropora, Montipora, Porites, Favites, Echinopora, Pocillopora, Peatygyra, Goniastrea and Leptoria.

The reefs also support about 350 species of fish eg. guorpers, snappers, sweet-lips, parrot fish, rabbit fish, surgeon fish, butterfly fish and damsel fish.

Also ornamental fish like Chaetodon benntti, C. unimaculata and Balistoides conspicellum.

Mollusc, sea anemones and sea cucumbers are important invertebrates. More recently the export of coral reef organisms has contributed substantially to the economy.

Beaches and fringing reefs are also favoured sites for tourism. Snorkelling, scuba-diving and the viewing of corals are popular among tourists. The reefs from Hikkaduwa to Tangalla are now severely damaged, mainly due to coral mining for the production of lime for building purposes.

Annually over 7,000 tons of coral and coral debris were removed from a 60 km stretch, and both coral and shells were collected for the tourist industry.

The Coast Conservation Department played an important role in addressing this problem by legislation prohibiting the mining and processing of coral, and schemes to provide alternative livelihood for those dependent on coral mining.

These efforts resulted in a substantial reduction of the quantity of coral extracted. Mining, however, continues to be a serious threat owing to poor law enforcement and the profitability of the lime industry.

A serious deficiency in the above strategy was the failure to recognise the importance of giving a participatory role to local stakeholders in the management of coastal resources.

The Coastal Zone Management Plan of 1996 sought to remedy this deficiency by the formulation and implementation of Special Management Area (SMA). Committees for selected coastal sites, comprised Government authorities and key community groups.

A pilot SMA project was implemented in the Hikkaduwa Marine sanctuary where many reefs were seen to be dead or dying.

It had to address problems of damage caused by pollution, boat anchorage and divers collecting reef organisms, sedimentation and conflicts between the economic interests of tourism and fisheries.

Several other coastal sites have been identified for such planning and management, but they have not yet been implemented. Implementation efforts are impaired by inadequacies in regard to institutional cooperation, political commitment and public awareness.

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