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Natural Resources of Sri Lanka 2000 NATURAL RESOURCES OF SRI LANKA 2000 ^ .i"**. ? -AH. -i^* * _ .J*, ,t^,' JL . ^lic. Natural Resources of Sri Lanka 2000 National Science Foundation 47/5, Maitland Place Colombo 7 Sri Lanka Editorial Board P.G. Cooray (Chairman) B.A. Abeywickrama Mala Amarasinghe K. D. Arulpragasam Priyalal Dias M. Watson L.C.A.de S. Wijesinghe Anusha Amarasinghe (Coordinator) General Editor K. D. Arulpragasam Copy Editors Anusha Amarasinghe Clodagh Nethsinghe Editorial Assistants Anuradha Welagedara Asha Pitadeniya Computer Applications Asha Pitadeniya Lakshitha Samarasi nghe Image Setting Prasanna Weerakkody Cover Design P.A. Miththapala First published 2000 ISBN 955-590-027-2 All Rights Reserved © No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted • in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed and Published by The National Science Foundation 47/5, Maitland Place, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka CONTENTS Foreword v Introduction 1-7 K. D. Arulpragasam Population Profile 9-29 A.T.P.LAbeykoon Economic Conditions and Trends 31 • 50 N.E.H. Sanderdtne Land Resources 53-73 CM. Madduma Bandara Water Resources 75 -109 CM. Madduma Bandara Energy Resources 111 -129 K. K. Y. W. Perera & Priyantha D. C. Wijayatunga Mineral Resources 131 -151 C.B.Dissanayake Forest Resources 153 -165 L C A. de S. Wijesinghe Coastal and Marine Resources K. D. Arulpragasam 167 - 193 Inland Aquatic Resources 195 - 211 J.M.P.K. Jayasinghe 213-248 Water Pollution Azeez M. Mubarak Biological Diversity 251 - 266 LC.A. de S. Wijesinghe Legal Framework for Natural Resource Management 269 - 290 Lalanath de Silva Towards Sustainable Development 293-302 K.D. Arulpragasam About the Authors 304-306 FOREWORD In 1991, the Natural Resources Energy and Science Authority (NARESA) of Sri Lanka brought out a publication entitled "Natural Resources of Sri Lanka - Conditions and Trends". This book was the first of its kind that presented a holistic overview of the island's natural resource base, how it was being used and managed and how its potential could be used in the future, to the best advantage of the economy and the people. Edited by Malcolm Baldwin and consisting of several chapters on natural resources written by recognized experts in their relevant disciplines, the book became a standard source of information for scientists, planners, policy makers, students and the general public. However, time has not stood still in this country, nor have resource use and economic development. Much has taken place in the decade that has passed since the publication of the previous book. Taking note of the pivotal role this book played as a source of authoritative information and mindful of the fact that we have moved into the world of the 21" Century, the Steering Committee on Natural Resources had made a recommendation that the book should be revised and updated. The Board of Management of the NARESA (now National Science Foundation - NSF) had accepted the recommendation and directed that the material be revised, re-written as appropriate and updated. It had been also decided that it should be published in the Year 2000 under the title "Natural Resources of Sri Lanka 2000". The Steering Committee on Natural Resources of the NARESA appointed an Editorial Board headed by Professor P.G. Cooray, to handle the revision. The Committee and the Editorial Board invited nationally reputed experts to write the relevant chapters. They were required to bring data on all aspects of the resource, its use and management and estimated future potential upto date, as nearly as possible to 1999. Authors were requested, also, to include relevant scientific data and analyses while keeping in mind that the book should still capture the interest and understanding of the student and the general reader. I am happy to be able to state that the book has achieved all its stated objectives. We are certain that in a milieu of sustainable development which is a sine qua non for survival and advancement in the 21" century, this publication will be of critical value to an even greater extent than its predecessor was during the closing decade Of the 20* century. On behalf of the Board of Management of the NSF, I wish to record my deep appreciation for the valuable contributions made by the invited experts, Editorial Board, General Editor, Copy Editors and Editorial Assistants who had worked tirelessly to make this major undertaking a success. Professor Kapila Dahanayake Chairman National Science Foundation (NSF) 26 December 2000 Introduction INTRODUCTION K. D. Arulpragasam National Education Commission The Island The People Cultural History The State The Hydraulic Civilization Natural Resources Climate . References THE ISLAND Sri Lanka is a tropical island a few kilometers Sri Lanka, known in the past also as Ceylon, off the southeastern coast of India at 79° 39' - 81° Serendib and Taprobane, was once part of the great 53" E and 5° 54'-9° 52'N. It lies in the Indian southern super-continent called Gondwanaland. Ocean astride the main international sea routes When that super-continent broke up and its parts between the east and the west, which pass drifted away from each other to form the continents immediately southwards of the island. An of Antarctica, South America, Africa, Australia, India uninterrupted expanse of ocean extends and the island of Madagascar, Sri Lanka which had southwards from Sri Lanka to Antarctica. been part of the super-continent, trailed along with India to its present position. This aspect of Sri Sri Lanka is rated as one of the most beautiful Lanka's geological history gives the island certain islands on earth. Its natural scenic beauty is its unique characteristics of relict fauna and flora. In most treasured possession. The climate is equable. addition, it also gives Sri Lanka close geological, A unique feature, for an island the area of which biological and cultural ties to the Indian sub­ is only 64 000 km2, is the range of temperature, continent. extending from a daily average of 27° C, in the coastal regions and lowlands, to a daily average Over 90 per cent of the island is formed of of 15°C, in the hill country. This wide range of Precambrian rock. Miocene limestone forms the temperature relates to rapid changes in altitude northern Jaffna Peninsula and adjacent islands and ,from sea level to heights of over 2000 m. This part of the northwestern coastal belt, where it is transition takes place within a distance of about partly overlain by Quaternary deposits. Two small , ISO km. The hill country has a climate that can be Jurassic deposits are found at Tabbowa and described as temperate. Andigama. Apart from these, alluvial deposits form a fertile cover over the river flood plains of Climate and topography together combine to the island. create a rich variety of scenic vistas and a wide range of ecosystems. These include beautiful bays, For most of this century, the physiography of coral reefs, estuaries, sandy beaches and dunes in Sri Lanka has been considered as consisting of the coastal fringe and tropical rain forests, tea and three main erosion levels (or "peneplains"), rubber plantations, majestic mountain views, separated from each other by escarpments. The cascading waterfalls, and a host of unique most recent view, however, is that there are several ecosystems such as Horton Plains, inland. The major physiographic provinces in the island, with latter is a plateau that lies at an elevation of over distinct landform assemblages which are related to 2000 m. Its southern edge is known as World's the island's lithology. These are: End. From here the southern lowlands extend to the coast of the island, beyOnd which a vast • Submerged plateau (continental shelf) expanse of ocean extends uninterrupted down to • Coastal Plain I - Quaternary System over Antarctica. crystalline rocks 1 Natural Resources of Sri Lanka 2000 • Coastal Plain II - Quaternary System over Anuradhapura, then the capital city of the country. Limestone The Sri Mahabodi, as this Bo tree is known, is • Miocene Limestone Plateau one of the oldest, historically documented trees in • Lowland Plain Wanni the world. The Dalada Maligawa in Kandy is the • Lowland Plain Vijayan home of the Tooth relic of the Buddha, venerated • SW Lowlands by Buddhists, the world over. • Elahera Ridges While in India, Buddhism did not take • Highlands, with subdivisions permanent hold, in Sri Lanka it developed firm roots and has become the religion of the majority Several prominent escarpments are found in of the people of the country. The purest form of the Highlands. This part of the country has over SO Theravada Buddhism is practised in Sri Lanka. waterfalls, which enhance the beauty of the Hill Country, and constitute some of the most treasured of the island's natural resources. Buddhism was nurtured by the Sinhala kings who built 'Dagabas' and 'Viharas' in and around their cities, over many centuries. Most of these About one third of the land is under agriculture. are concentrated in the northcentral region of the Forests cover another third, and the rest has been country around cities such as Anuradhapura and transformed into human settlements and a variety of Polonnaruwa. The ruins of these structures lie other anthropocentric uses. scattered in those regions and are monuments to a great cultural heritage and highly advanced engineering skills, far in advance of the times to CULTURAL HISTORY which they belong. These ruins enhance the quality of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. Sri Lanka's location astride the sea routes between the east and the west has exposed her to wide cultural and political influences throughout her history. The island was well known to THE HYDRAULIC CIVILIZATION travellers of many nationalities from ancient times, and her reputation for precious stones, spices, From the middle of the first millennium BC elephants and scenic beauty is documented in the to well after the first millennium AD Sri Lanka tales of Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese and the developed and sustained a hydraulic civilization.
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