Y%S ,xld m%cd;dka;%sl iudcjd§ ckrcfha .eiÜ m;%h w;s úfYI The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka EXTRAORDINARY wxl 2072$58 - 2018 uehs ui 25 jeks isl=rdod - 2018'05'25 No. 2072/58 - FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018 (Published by Authority) PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications SRI LANKA Coastal ZONE AND Coastal RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN - 2018 Prepared under Section 12(1) of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Act, No. 57 of 1981 THE Public are hereby informed that the Sri Lanka Coastal Zone and Coastal Resource Management Plan - 2018 was approved by the cabinet of Ministers on 25th April 2018 and the Plan is implemented with effect from the date of Gazette Notification. MAITHRIPALA SIRISENA, Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment. Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, No. 500, T. B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10, 23rd May, 2018. 1A PG 04054 - 507 (05/2018) This Gazette Extraordinary can be downloaded from www.documents.gov.lk 1A 2A I fldgi ( ^I& fPoh - YS% ,xld m%cd;dka;s%l iudcjd§ ckrcfha w;s úfYI .eiÜ m;%h - 2018'05'25 PART I : SEC. (I) - GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - 25.05.2018 CHAPTER 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 THE SCOPE FOR COASTAL ZONE AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 1.1.1. Context and Setting With the increase of population and accelerated economic activities in the coastal region, the requirement of integrated management focused on conserving, developing and sustainable utilization of Sri Lanka’s dynamic and resources rich coastal region has long been recognized. A formal management framework was first adopted by the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department through the first generation “Coastal Zone Management Plan” formulated and implemented in 1990 as mandated by Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Act No.57 of 1981. Subsequently, the CZMP has been revised and updated respectively in 1997 and 2004. The Coastal Zone and Coastal Resource Management Plan of 2018 is designed to ensure sustainable use of the coastal environment and its resources in the long term, consistent with the national development goals. The reviews and evaluations conducted by the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management Department with respect to the impacts and outcomes of the policy objectives, strategies and actions, framed on the identified issues of the past CZMP’s revealed some drawbacks in achieving desired targets. This was mainly due to a number of factors including, inadequacy of the legally defined “Coastal Zone”, and the absence of legal provisions for proper planning, implementation and institutionalization of the Special Management Areas, inability to address issues beyond the legally defined coastal zone and lack of legal authority to protect conservation areas and public access. In addition, the impacts and outcomes of the management strategies introduced on integrating coastal fisheries and aquaculture and the management of sites of special significance has not produced desired results due to lack of agency cooperation, questions of authority and responsibility. Apart from these inadequacies, the conflict situation that prevailed in the northern and the eastern region constrained the management of the entirety of the coastal resources in the country. 1.1.2 Major Deviation from 2004 CZMP In conformity with the legal provisions of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Amendment Act No.49 of 2011, the Coastal Zone and Coastal Resource Management Plan - 2018 has been prepared by the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management Department. In considering the practicality, and the capacity of the CCCRMD, the 2018 Plan focused only on five major areas viz. Shoreline Management, Coastal Pollution Control, Management of Coastal Habitats, Special Management Areas and Regulatory Mechanism. The Department has excluded two issues that are addressed through the 2004 CZMP. These issues include management of sites of special significance and public access and the issue of management of coastal fisheries and aquaculture. This deviation was mainly due to outcomes experienced by the Department during the implementation phase and the question of authority and responsibility. However, the regulatory mechanisms for the management of these issues have been emphasized in Chapter 6 – Regulatory Mechanisms. I fldgi ( ^I& fPoh - YS% ,xld m%cd;dka;s%l iudcjd§ ckrcfha w;s úfYI .eiÜ m;%h - 2018'05'25 3A PART I : SEC. (I) - GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - 25.05.2018 1.1.3 Post Conflict Opportunities and Development Trends in the Coastal Region The conflict situation that prevailed for more than 30 years in the northern and the eastern coastal region has disrupted proper management of the coastal resources in those regions. It is also found that the socio- economic status of the coastal communities in the country has been degraded rapidly due to the conflict situation. However with the eradication of terrorism in the country in 2009, ample opportunities have been opened for economic development based on the resources of the coastal region. Accordingly, the government is accorded high priority to developing some of the major economic hubs viz. the Maritime hub, the Tourism hub and the Energy hub within the coastal region. The rapid development of tourism industry in the coastal region has clearly shown the need for balancing conservation requirements with the development need. Similarly development of commercial ports such as Hambantota provides an example of planned development in the coastal region. The policy objectives, management strategies, development guidelines and standards introduced through this plan will further improve the status and quality of the coastal environment whilst accommodating development needs. 1.2 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COASTAL ZONE 1.2.1 The Bio- physical Characteristic The coastal environment of Sri Lanka is influenced by its location in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, between 5° 54’ and 9° 52’ North Latitude and 79° 39’ and 81° 53’ East Longitude.The coastal area is positioned in the lowest of the three peneplains forming the island, and generally consists of flat coastal plains averaging an elevation of less than 100 ft (30 m) (CZMP 2004). The lowest peneplain containing the coastal plains extends outward from the island and under the sea as the continental shelf for a width of 5-25 miles (about 8-40 km) in most parts, and at an average depth of 216 ft (about 65 m) below sea level. The continental shelf is narrow around the southern part of the island,but widens considerably towards the north where it merges with the shelf around India.Sri Lanka has a coastline of approximately 1,620 km including the shoreline of bays and inlets, but excluding lagoons. The transverse type coastline in the southwest and northeast is characterized by a series of pictures que sandy bays protected on either side by rocky headlands; the southwesternn coastline also has many complex systems of lakes and lagoons with sinuous shapes (CZMP2004). The bay of Trincomalee on the northeastern coast described as “the most perfect natural harbour of the Indian ocean is of particular significance. The northwestern and southeastern coastlines exhibit lagoons, sandbars, banks and spits that sometimes extend over many kilometres. The presence around the island of the continental shelf with shallow waters has permitted the formation of coral reefs along the coastline amidst well-developed reefs of sandstone and rock. Large deposits of coral are also found inland in the coastal region, particularly between Ambalangoda and Matara, chief among which are the Akurala deposits. Some segments along the southwest coastline are retreating due to natural erosive action of the sea compounded by anthropogenic activities such as river sand mining and destruction of the protective coral reefs. In contrast, some areas of the northwestern and southeastern coastlines are advancing due to accretion. The coastal landscape contains a very dynamic transition zone between the sea, land and atmosphere, and is formed as a result of sea and atmospheric forces on the landmass and the supply of sediments to the coast. Sri Lanka has 103 rivers, most of which radiate from the hill country and flow down to the seaforming estuaries that are important features of the coastal landscape and provide vital habitats for species of commercial and subsistence use. These rivers transport large amounts of sand, silt and clay essential for beach nourishment; but they are also carriers of pollutants that degrade the quality of coastal waters and habitats. Throughout 4A I fldgi ( ^I& fPoh - YS% ,xld m%cd;dka;s%l iudcjd§ ckrcfha w;s úfYI .eiÜ m;%h - 2018'05'25 PART I : SEC. (I) - GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - 25.05.2018 its length, the Coastal Zone contains a variety of terrestrial habitats that include sandy beaches, barrier beaches, sand spits and dunes, rocky shores, mangroves and salt marshes. Equally important are the coral reefs, lagoons, estuaries, and sea grass beds in the coastal waters. These systems help maintain vital physical processes, fulfill eco system services and functions and provide land, goods and services (CZMP 2004). 1.2.2 The Impact of the 2004 Tsunami The Asian tsunami that struck on 26th December 2004 was probably the worst natural disaster in the Sri Lankan history, because of the numbers of people affected, its extent and complexity. As a result of massive destruction, major part of the coastal zone and its bio-physical resource have been lost or damaged. The Tsunami left more than 38,000 people dead and another 7,100 missing. According to the Government figures around one million people are affected (5 percent of the total population), i.e. they lost family members, were injured, lost their belongings, and/or have assets, land and/or houses that are partially or completely damaged.