Regional Capacity- Building workshop For Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration to Support Achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Country profile of Sri Lanka and present status of NBSAPs

Hasula Wickramasinghe & C S Kariyawasam

Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy, Sri Lanka Overview

Location- Indian sub continent

Land Area - 65 610 km2

Population – 20 M

Distinct climatic zones –wet intermediate & dry

Main Ecosystem Types

- Forests (rain forests, montane cloud forests, dry zone monsoon forests, arid thorn scrub forests)

- Wetlands (103 major rivers, 12000 irrigation tanks)

- Coastal and marine (coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds, salt marsh vegetation, sand dunes, beaches)

River basins River system Protected Area System of Sri Lanka Strict Nature Reserves (SNR) -03 National Parks (NP) - 21 Nature reserves - 05 Sanctuaries - 63 Buffer zone - 00 Refuge - 00 Marine Reserves – 02

World/National heritage wilderness areas – 03 Conservation Forests - 55 Forest reserves – 360 Other state forests-N/A International Biosphere Reserves (MAB) - 04 National Biosphere reserves – 31 Forest PAs Wildlife PAs (16.1%) (12.4%) Minneriya

Maduru Oya

Wilpattu

Kumana

Horton Plains

Bundala Yala IBAs

Sri Lanka - Biodiversity Hotspot

Sri Lanka is recognized as one of the Biological Hotspots in the world together with the Western Ghats of India

Sri Lanka has a very high endemism per unit area. Region including Western Ghats and Sri Lanka is considered as one of 34 biodiversity ‘hot spots’ identified in the world (Mittermeier et.al., 2005) Number of discovered within a decade

Taxonomic group 1993 2012 Freshwater shrimps 21 23

Freshwater crabs 7 51 Freshwater fish 51 91 Amphibians 39 111 Reptiles 155 211 Mammals 90 125 National Redlist 2012-Fauna

Taxon group Total species Total Threatened

Spiders 501(257) 62(24) Freshwater crabs 51(50) 46(45) Dragonflies 118 (47) 61(40) Ants 194 (33) 59(8) Bees 130 106 245 (26) 99 (22) Landsnails 253 (205) 179 (162) Freshwater fish 91 (50) 45 (39) Amphibians 111(95) 73 (71) Reptiles 211 (124) 107 (87) Birds 240 (27) 67 (18) Mammals 95 (21) 53 (18)

Photo – Mendis Wickramasinghe

Panthera pardus kotiya- endemic sub species darsius - Sri Lanka (National ) National Redlist 2012-Flora

Total No Endemics

Angiosperms 3154 894 Gymnosperms 2 0 Pteridophytes 336 49

Endemic Orchids

Photos – Suranjan Fernando Salient Features of Biodiversity Resources in Sri Lanka

• High taxic diversity • Diverse ecosystems • Unique endemism • Rich traditional knowledge, cultural heritage and customs related to Agro biodiversity • Genetic resources • Historic and pre historic biodiversity (Palaeobiodiversity) • Internationally important ecosystems • Committed conservation sentiments nurtured in Buddhism • Promising ecotourism destination • Eco-laboratory for biodiversity research

Threats to Sri Lanka’s biodiversity

• Habitat loss and fragmentation (Land Use Changes/Habitat degradation • Over exploitation of biological resources (Loss of traditional crops, CWRs, livestock varieties/breeds and knowledge base) • Spread of alien invasive species • Climate Change • Environmental Pollution

The Road Map to NBSAP

NBSAPs ACTIONS

Presents the country’s economic Sri Lanka policy strategies and Green Strategy actions 10 Thematic for next six years Missions POLICY Mainstreaming Arm

NBSAP Updating Process

Previous NBSAPs Programmes & Actions 2020 Aichi Targets CBD Guiding Principles CBD Strategic Plan NBSAP Guidance Regional WS Screening Recommendations National Policies

National Target Setting and indicators development

Proposed new programmes & activities for 2020

Progress Implementation 2014 - 2020 monitoring 5 Over 90 % forests are covered by the PA system 350 70% 4.5

300 population density 4 person/sq km

3.5 Dense Natural Forest … 250

3

200

2.5

150 2

22% 1.5 100

1 In 1990 Logging Ban In Natural 50 Forest 0.5

0 0 1950 1956 1983 1992 1999 1950 1956 1983 1992 1999 Average annual deforestation rate of 1.14 percent . Between 2000 and 2005 this accelerated to 1.43% per annum. Lessons Close Canopy Forest Sector Learnt Wildlife Sector

Initial declaration of most of the protected areas in Sri Lanka was not targeted for BD conservation

>50% Biodiversity is outside the protected areas!!! >50% the total population Requirements for National BD Strategies & Action Plans

• Focus on achieving 2011-2020 Strategic Plan and Aichi BD Targets • Adequate baseline information/data for review and assessments • Integrate BD targets into relevant sectoral and cross sectoral strategies and plans • Identify economic benefits of ecosystem services • Identify proper indicators for monitoring & measuring • Create effective awareness among stakeholders

Thank You!

Photo – Ranil Nanayakkara