Government of Sri Lanka METRO COLOMBO URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (MCUDP) The Consultancy Services for the Preparation of a Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Technical Report 07 WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY No.MCUDP/PHRD/03

January 2016 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

TEAM MEMBERS

Rob MCINNES ...... Team leader

Sibila JAKSIC ...... Institutions and policy Project manager Rob MCINNES ...... Ecosystem services_PRA_Questionnaires Mark EVERARD ...... Ecosystem services Anusha BANDARA ...... Ecosystem services _Economic valuation Lalith AMARALAL ...... Ecosystem services_PRA GREEN MOVEMENT ...... Ecosystem services _Questionnaires Devaka WEERAKOON ...... Biodiversity Gilles MOYNOT ...... Biodiversity Guillaume SALMON ...... Communication Plan Nicolas BARGIER ...... Water and soil quality Ranjana PIYADASA ...... Water and soil quality Pierre RIGAUDIERE ...... Physical features_Hydrology Anura RANWALA ...... Physical features_Hydrology

GIS team : Thilina Buddima PALLETHANNE, Anthony ROUÉ, Vu Hai LE, Inakshi KARUNAWARDANA, Olivier PETOT (ASCONIT) and “SAFEGE” GIS team

Supportive roles :

Missaka HETTIARACHCHI ...... Institutions and policy Mathieu SOUQUET ...... Wetland Management Strategy Keerthi Sri JAYAWARDENA ...... Hydrology background Indrasiri L.H ...... Expert GIS Janaka DHARMASENA ...... Urban planning issues Emmanuel THIRY ...... Advisory on governance issue

Field assessment and survey were accomplished with participation of GREEN MOVEMENT staff for ecosystem services assessment and students from Colombo University for water quality and ecological surveys.

WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Metro Colombo Wetland Management Strategy was developed as a complementary initiative towards achieving capacity enhancement for flood and drainage management under the World Bank funded Metro Colombo Urban Development Project. The study received grant funding from the Japan Policy and Human Resources Development Fund and was directly supervised by the Wetland Management Division of the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation :

Dr. N. S. Wijayarathne ‐ Deputy General Manager L C G Soysa ‐ AGM ‐ Coordinator W D C T Gunasiri ‐ Environmental Scientist ‐ Surface and Ground Water and Soil surveys P D Pindeniya ‐ Ecologist ‐ Biodiversity Field surveys Ranoshi Siripala ‐ Ecologist ‐ Biodiversity Field surveys Kumudu Shirani ‐ Engineer ‐ Ecosystem Service Assessment U Y I L Dharmasoma ‐ Surface and Ground Water surveys Dammika Marasinghe ‐ Administrative Officer ‐ Social Surveys

WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

CONTENTS

1 CLASSIFICATION OF WETLANDS IN THE COLOMBO METROPOLITAN REGION ______1

2 THE RAMSAR CLASSIFICATION OF WETLANDS ______5

3 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS ZONING MAP ‐ HYDROLOGICAL FUNCTIONING ______9

4 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS ZONING MAP ‐ HABITAT TYPES _ 11

5 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS ZONING MAP – FUNCTIONAL WETLAND CLASSIFICATION ______13

6 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS TYPE PHOTOGRAPHS ______15

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Page | iv WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

1 CLASSIFICATION OF WETLANDS IN THE COLOMBO METROPOLITAN REGION

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Dominant water Habitat Ramsar wetland Hydrodynamic Habitat type Wetland type Wetland description source feature classification types Floating vegetation Freshwater, non‐tidal, flowing water with floating vegetation M, N, 9 Flowing water Open water Freshwater, non‐tidal, open flowing water body M, N, 9 Open water Standing Floating vegetation Freshwater, non‐tidal, standing water with floating vegetation O, P, Tp, Ts, 2, 3, 6, 7 water Open water Freshwater, non‐tidal, open standing water body O, P, Tp, Ts, 2, 3, 6, 7 Active paddy Active paddy land 3 Non‐tidal Low herb Abandoned paddy Abandoned paddy land dominated by low herbs Tp, Ts, U, 3 Herb‐dominated Marginal vegetation Low herb communities on margins of non‐tidal freshwater bodies Tp, Ts Abandoned paddy Abandoned paddy land dominated by tall herbs Tp, Ts, W, U, 3 Tall herb Marginal vegetation Tall herb communities on margins of non‐tidal freshwater bodies Tp, Ts W Annona woodland Freshwater, non‐tidal Annona dominated woodland Xf, Xp Woodland Freshwater Mixed woodland Freshwater, non‐tidal mixed woodland Xf, Xp Floating vegetation Freshwater, weak/moderately tidal, flowing water with floating vegetation M, N, 9 Flowing water Open water Freshwater, non‐tidal, open flowing water body M, N, 9 Open water Standing Floating vegetation Freshwater, non‐tidal, standing water with floating vegetation O, P, Tp, Ts, 2, 6, 7 water Open water Freshwater, non‐tidal, open standing water body O, P, Tp, Ts, 2, 6, 7 Weak‐moderately Low herb communities on margins of weak/moderately ‐tidal freshwater Low herb Marginal vegetation Tp, Ts tidal bodies Herb‐dominated Tall herb communities on margins of weak/moderately ‐tidal freshwater Tall herb Marginal vegetation Tp, Ts W bodies Annona woodland Freshwater, weak/moderately tidal Annona dominated woodland Xf, Xp Woodland Mixed woodland Freshwater, weak/moderately tidal mixed woodland Xf, Xp Floating vegetation Brackish, weak‐moderately tidal, flowing water with floating vegetation M, N, 9 Flowing water Open water Brackish, weak‐moderately tidal, open flowing water body M, N, 9 Open water Standing Floating vegetation Brackish, weak‐moderately tidal, standing water with floating vegetation O, P, Q, R, Sp, Ss, Tp, 2, 3, 6, 7 Weak‐moderately water Open water Brackish, weak‐moderately tidal, open standing water body O, P, Q, R, Sp, Ss, Tp, 2, 3, 6, 7 tidal Low herb Marginal vegetation Low herb communities on margins of weak/moderately ‐tidal brackish bodies Sp, Ss, Tp, Ts Herb‐dominated Tall herb Marginal vegetation Tall herb communities on margins of weak/moderately ‐tidal brackish bodies Sp, Ss, Tp, Ts W Annona woodland Brackish, weak/moderately tidal Annona dominated woodland I, Xf, Xp Woodland Seasonally brackish Mixed woodland Brackish, weak/moderately tidal mixed woodland I, Xf, Xp / Brackish Floating vegetation Brackish, strongly tidal, flowing water with floating vegetation M, N, 9 Flowing water Open water Brackish, strongly tidal, open flowing water body M, N, 9 Open water Standing Floating vegetation Brackish, strongly tidal, standing water with floating vegetation O, P, Q, R, Sp, Ss, Tp, 2, 3, 6, 7 water Open water Brackish, strongly tidal, open standing water body O, P, Q, R, Sp, Ss, Tp, 2, 3, 6, 7 Strongly tidal Low herb Marginal vegetation Low herb communities on margins of strongly ‐tidal brackish bodies Sp, Ss, Tp, Ts Herb‐dominated Tall herb Marginal vegetation Tall herb communities on margins of strongly ‐tidal brackish bodies Sp, Ss, Tp, Ts W Annona woodland Brackish, strongly tidal Annona dominated woodland I, Xf, Xp Woodland Mixed woodland Brackish, strongly tidal mixed woodland I, Xf, Xp

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Page | 4 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

2 THE RAMSAR CLASSIFICATION OF WETLANDS

Page | 5 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 6 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Type. (Note: “floodplain” is a broad term used to refer to one or more wetland types, which may include examples from the R, Ss, Ts, W, Xf, Xp, or other wetland types. Some examples of floodplain wetlands are seasonally inundated grassland (including natural wet meadows), shrublands, woodlands and forests. Floodplain wetlands are not listed as a specific wetland type herein.) Ramsar Wetland Types Code Permanent shallow marine waters in most cases less than six metres deep at low tide; A includes sea bays and straits. Marine sub‐tidal aquatic beds; includes kelp beds, sea‐grass beds, tropical marine B meadows. Coral reefs. C Rocky marine shores; includes rocky offshore islands, sea cliffs. D Sand, shingle or pebble shores; includes sand bars, spits and sandy islets; includes dune E systems and humid dune slacks. Marine/Coastal Wetlands Estuarine waters; permanent water of estuaries and estuarine systems of deltas. F Intertidal mud, sand or salt flats. G Intertidal marshes; includes salt marshes, salt meadows, saltings, raised salt marshes; H includes tidal brackish and freshwater marshes. Intertidal forested wetlands; includes mangrove swamps, nipah swamps and tidal I freshwater swamp forests. Coastal brackish/saline lagoons; brackish to saline lagoons with at least one relatively J narrow connection to the sea. Coastal freshwater lagoons; includes freshwater delta lagoons. K Karst and other subterranean hydrological systems, marine/coastal Zk(a) Permanent inland deltas. L Permanent rivers/streams/creeks; includes waterfalls. M Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks. N Permanent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha); includes large oxbow lakes. O Seasonal/intermittent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha); includes floodplain lakes. P Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline lakes. Q Seasonal/intermittent saline/brackish/alkaline lakes and flats. R Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/pools. Sp Seasonal/intermittent saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/pools. Ss Permanent freshwater marshes/pools; ponds (below 8 ha), marshes and swamps on inorganic soils; with emergent vegetation water‐logged for at least most of the growing Tp season. Inland Wetlands Seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes/pools on inorganic soils; includes sloughs, Ts potholes, seasonally flooded meadows, sedge marshes. Non‐forested peatlands; includes shrub or open bogs, swamps, fens. U Alpine wetlands; includes alpine meadows, temporary waters from snowmelt. Va Tundra wetlands; includes tundra pools, temporary waters from snowmelt. Vt Shrub‐dominated wetlands; shrub swamps, shrub‐dominated freshwater marshes, shrub W carr, alder thicket on inorganic soils. Freshwater, tree‐dominated wetlands; includes freshwater swamp forests, seasonally Xf flooded forests, wooded swamps on inorganic soils. Forested peatlands; peatswamp forests. Xp Freshwater springs; oases Y Geothermal wetlands Zg Karst and other subterranean hydrological systems, inland Zk(b) Aquaculture (e.g., fish/shrimp) ponds 1

Ponds; includes farm ponds, stock ponds, small tanks; (generally below 8 ha). 2 Irrigated land; includes irrigation channels and rice fields. 3 Seasonally flooded agricultural land (including intensively managed or grazed wet 4 meadow or pasture). Human‐made wetlands Salt exploitation sites; salt pans, salinas, etc. 5 Water storage areas; reservoirs/barrages/dams/impoundments (generally over 8 ha). 6 Excavations; gravel/brick/clay pits; borrow pits, mining pools. 7 Wastewater treatment areas; sewage farms, settling ponds, oxidation basins, etc. 8 Canals and drainage channels, ditches. 9 Karst and other subterranean hydrological systems, human‐made 10

Page | 7 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 8 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

3 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS ZONING MAP _ HYDROLOGICAL FUNCTIONING

Page | 9 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 10 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

4 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS ZONING MAP _ HABITAT TYPES

Page | 11 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 12 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

5 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS ZONING MAP _ FUNCTIONAL WETLAND CLASSIFICATION

Page | 13 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 14 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

6 METRO COLOMBO WETLANDS TYPE PHOTOGRAPHS LOCATION

Page | 15 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 16 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 17 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 18 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 19 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 20 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 21 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

Page | 22 WETLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ‐ Technical Report 07 ‐ WETLAND CLASSIFICATION MAPS Metro Colombo Urban Development Project ‐ Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Management Strategy for Wetlands and Carrying out an Assessment of Water Quality in the Inland Waterways and Lakes within Metro Colombo Area

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