Regional Technical Assistance for Coastal and Marine Resources Management and Poverty Reduction in South Asia (Adb Reta 5974) Pr
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REGIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN SOUTH ASIA (ADB RETA 5974) PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY – Sri Lanka Component Asian Development Bank IUCN – The World Conservation Union Sri Lanka MAY 2003 Regional Technical Assistance for Coastal and Marine Resources Management and Poverty Reduction in South Asia (ADB RETA 5974) – PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY : Sri Lanka Component CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION …… …… …… ..…. 02 1.1 Specific Objectives …… …… …… ..…. 02 2. MANGROVE RESTORATION …… …… …… ..…. 03 2.1 Background …… …… …… ..…. 03 2.2 Project Description …… …… …… ..…. 04 2.3 Project Impacts …… …… …… ..…. 04 2.4 Financial and Economic Analysis…… …… …… ..…. 05 3. COMMUNITY FORESTRY …… …… …… ..…. 07 3.1 Background …… …… …… ..…. 07 3.2 Project Description …… …… …… ..…. 07 3.3 Project Impacts …… …… …… ..…. 07 4. ECO-TOURISM …… …… …… ..…. 10 4.1 Background …… …… …… ..…. 10 4.2 Project Description …… …… …… ..…. 11 4.3 Project Impacts …… …… …… ..…. 11 5. DEVELOPMENT OF FISHERIES: INFRASTRUCTURE AND CREDIT ..…. 13 5.1 Background …… …… …… ..…. 13 5.2 Credit facilities for purchasing theppam boats …… …… ..…. 14 5.3 Project impacts …… …… …… ..…. 15 5.4 Financial and economic analysis…… …… …… ..…. 15 6. PROVISION OF AN OPENING FOR SEA FISHING …… ..…. 16 6.1 Background …… …… …… ..…. 16 6.2 Project description …… …… …… ..…. 17 6.3 Project Impacts …… …… …… ..…. 17 REFERENCES …… …… …… ..…. 19 ANNEXURE …… …… …… ..…. 20 1 Regional Technical Assistance for Coastal and Marine Resources Management and Poverty Reduction in South Asia (ADB RETA 5974) – PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY : Sri Lanka Component 1. INTRODUCTION This report presents pre-feasibility of selected interventions under the Coastal and Marine Resource Management Project. Selection of the projects was based on the information collected in six previous studies. These studies produced reports on Mangrove Vegetation and Biodiversity, Status of Poverty, High Priority Area Analysis, Status Report on Fisheries, Situation Analysis of Institutions, and Economic Valuation of Mangrove Vegetations and Economic Analysis on Harmful Fishing Methods. Summary of the above reports were synthesized at the Integrate Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) strategy. The ICZM strategy states its vision statement as ‘A productive, and high quality lagoon environment with healthy ecosystems and sustainable livelihoods for local communities’. The following mission statement was adopted for implementing the above-mentioned vision.’ Conserve, use sustainably and enhance, the rich lagoon ecosystem through an Integrated Coastal Zone Management approach, with a special focus on the poor and vulnerable social groups who made it their own living habitat’. These vision and mission statements provide the overall guidelines for selection and analysis of projects at pilot stage. The vision and mission statements were further detailed with the following specific objectives, which also serve as guidelines in selecting and formulating the projects described in this report1. 1.1 Specific Objectives • Conservation of marine and coastal fauna and flora associated with the lagoon and estuarine ecosystems. • Improve the fishing industry through minimization of destructive forms of fishing (push nets). • Decreasing fishing pressure on the lagoon by diversification of fish catch, development of anchorage facilities for sea fishing fleets and increasing incomes from land based activities. • Manage the extraction of natural resources at sustainable levels. • Enhance the resource base as well as the household economy of poor and disadvantaged social groups through diversification of livelihoods. Improve common amenities such as drinking water, electricity and road access. • Advancement of education and awareness among the local communities while encouraging cooperative action. • Development of least harmful eco-tourism to provide additional income and employment for the poor particularly during lean periods. • Improving the technology of salt production. The specific objectives provide alternative ideas of projects. Among these alternatives five projects were selected for the pre-feasibility analysis. The selected five projects are, Mangrove Restoration, Community Forestry in Mined Areas of the Cement Factory, Ecotourism Supportive Activities, Anchoring Facility for Fishermen and Removal of San Dune to Facilitate Fishermen Movements. Selection of these five projects out of the alternative ideas were based on the stakeholder consultation, expert opinion and field observations. Recommendations given in different situation analysis reports also were very helpful in selecting these five projects. The investment plans were developed only for the pilot stage interventions. However, the pilot stage interventions were a subset of the overall project for development/conservation of Puttlam Lagoon. One of the objectives of the pilot stage interventions is to examine the project impacts by implementing them. If these projects are successful, they will be repeated for the whole lagoon. Therefore, these projects were developed as small-scale project to minimize the cost of failures. The rest of the report describes these projects. 1 Prepared by Dr. H.M. Gunatilake in association with IUCN 2 Regional Technical Assistance for Coastal and Marine Resources Management and Poverty Reduction in South Asia (ADB RETA 5974) – PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY : Sri Lanka Component 2. MANGROVE RESTORATION 2.1 Background The situation assessment report on Mangroves and Biodiversity shows that a significant amount of mangrove vegetation has been destroyed during the period of 1981 to 1992. Table 1 provides the details of mangrove vegetation destruction. Table 1: Change in mangrove and salt marsh cover around Puttalam Lagoon and Dutch bay from 1981 - 1992 Area Mangrove extent (ha) Salt marsh extent (ha) 1981 1992 Change 1981 1992 Change ha % ha % Puttalam lagoon Eastern shore 829.4 465.9 -363.5 -43.8 1051.0 470.4 -580.6 -55.2 Western shore 346.1 248.3 -97.8 -28.3 383.9 230.3 -153.6 -40.0 Total Dutch 1175.5 714.2 -461.3 -39.2 1434.9 700.7 -734.2 -51.2 bay Kala Oya 1837 1837 0.0 0.0 - - - - Other areas 304.1 274.0 -30.1 -9.9 70.3 71.3 +1.0 +1.0 Total extent 3316.6 2825.2 -491.4 -33.2 1505.2 772.0 -733.2 -48.8 Source: Amarasinghe et al. (2003) Interpretation of aerial photographs taken in 1992 revealed that nearly 44% of the mangroves on the eastern shore had been lost during the period from 1981 to 1992. About 28% of the on the western coast have been converted to other land uses, especially shrimp farms. It is also noteworthy that more salt marshes (734.2 ha) than mangrove areas (461.3 ha) have been lost during this time. This is primarily due to the better recognition of the mangrove areas had for their ecological significance in relation to fisheries, against salt marshes, that encouraged the prospective shrimp farm developers to avoid mangrove areas. These figures provide destruction of Mangroves between 1981 –1992. If the similar trend has continued, at least the same amount of mangrove vegetation must have been destroyed during the last decade. Thus, during the last two decades the lagoon may have lost about 2000 ha of mangrove forests. As the consultancy reports of the Coastal Zone Management Project show that area of Puttlam lagoon has the largest area of pristine mangroves in the country. One way to protect this area is to declare it as a protected area. The pure legislative approaches however, fail to achieve conservation goals effectively. Another way to protect this area of pristine mangroves is to afforest some selected areas with selected mangrove species. Some effort has already been taken in the recent past to afforest certain parts of the lagoon with mangroves. Mandalakudah is one such location where Rhizophora mucronata propagules have been planted in a sheltered corner of Puttalam lagoon. Besides, the same species has been planted at Thannikudah and Etalai. At Etalai, the Forest Department has planted mangroves and at Etalai it is the villagers who plant R. mucronata at the waterfront boundary of their homesteads. Unlike at Mandalakudah, seedlings in the latter areas appear healthy and established well. Thannikudah is an ideal location to reinforce these mangrove-planting activities, perhaps with the help of the local community (Amarasinghe, et al. 2003). Also it is ideal to be set-aside as a mangrove refuge for its high biodiversity. Mangrove replanting can also be done along the banks of the estuary at Gange Wadiya, leaving space appropriate for fish landing sites. 3 Regional Technical Assistance for Coastal and Marine Resources Management and Poverty Reduction in South Asia (ADB RETA 5974) – PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY : Sri Lanka Component 2.2 Project Description This project proposes to afforest 1000 ha with selected species of Mangroves. At the pilot stage, the re-forestation project will be undertaken in Purana Eluwankulama. The pilot project will afforest 100ah. There are two options available for implementing this project. First is to assign the responsibility of reforestation to the Forest Department, which has already undertaken a similar project in the study area. The second is to work with local community under the supervision of the Forest Department. If the reforestation activities can be undertaken in the lean periods of fisheries, this will provide much needed employment and income for the poor sectors of the community. Therefore, the second option is preferred. Expert opinion should be seek in selection the appropriate