PART 5: LIST OF ANNEXES Annex 1: Letter of Endorsement Annex 2: Site Description and Maps Annex 3: Climate change Vulnerability and Adaptation Summary Annex 4: Incremental Cost Analysis Annex 5: Stakeholder Involvement Plan Annex 6: List of contacts Annex 7: Socioeconomic Status Report Annex 8: Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Annex 9: Bibliography Annex 10: Logical Framework Analysis Annex 11: Response to STAP Review Annex 12: Letter of Commitment- Coast Conservation Department Annex 13: Letter of Commitment- Ministry of Environment Annex 14: Letter of Commitment- International Fund for Agricultural Development _________________________________________________________________________________________________51 Tsunami Coastal Restoration in Eastern Sri Lanka Annex 2: Site Description and Maps Preamble The project is designed for the restoration and rehabilitation of coastal ecosystems. The initial emphasis of this five-year project will be on developing a scientifically based, low-cost, community-based approach to rehabilitating key coastal ecosystems at specific sites in the East Coast and facilitating replication of these techniques all along the East Coast (and in due course other tsunami-affected coasts). Three sites representing three major ecosystems – mangroves, coastal lagoons, and sand dunes –have been identified for piloting these themes. The selection was based on outputs from the Threats Analysis and the following criteria. 1. Hotspot analysis: sites where the tsunami effect was severe on the ecosystems and post tsunami reconstructions are in progress, global/national biodiversity importance exist, concentration of various resource users and their high dependency over the available resources exist and user conflicts exist. 2. Accessibility: accessibility by road was a criterion for selecting pilot sites 3. Absence of ongoing management and monitoring projects: sites at which on-going projects have not being considered for selection 4. Vulnerability to climate Change: Level of vulnerability to climate change and potential for testing adaptation with community participation was also used as a criterion for site selection 5. Consensus of the stakeholders: demonstration sites were finalized with the consensus of local people, local, district, provincial and national level stakeholders through a consultative process 1. Pigeon Islands Location and status Pigeon Islands, located 1km off the coast of Nilaveli along the NE coast of Sri Lanka consists of two small islands (known as Large and Small Pigeon Islands) and several rocky outcrops including Coral Island and ‘Salabalas Rock’ (locally known) 300-500m north, south and southeast of Large Pigeon Island. The two small islands were declared a sanctuary in 1963 to protect the Blue Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), a nationally threatened bird species inhabiting the Islands and other sea birds. In the year 2003, it was upgraded to the status of a National Park, with the surrounding waters within a one-mile radius including coral reefs declared as a buffer zone. However, no management measures of a National Park have been implemented so far thus activities around the island environs, particularly, fishing for food fish, ornamental fish collection, boat riding to view corals etc. are being carried out uninterrupted over the years. To date, over hundred species of corals and more than three hundred species of reef fish have been identified in Trincomalee and surrounding area and many of these species are found around Pigeon Islands. Large Pigeon Island (N 80 43.198’ E 810 12.101’) has a linear extent of 2-3 km and is surrounded by a fringing coral reef of about 10,000 square meters with a live hard coral cover of 74%. Coral cover is dominated by Acropora spp. with some Montipora spp., large colonies of Porites and Goniastrea are found in the seaward margin. Scattered coral communities interspaced by rocky habitats are found around the island up to a depth of 15m. There are no large coral patches around Small Pigeon Island and ‘Salabalas Rock’. Some corals occur on rocky substrate, which are interspersed with old limestone and sandy patches. Live hard coral cover is about 25% and dominated by families Faviidae, Mussidae and Poritidae. Extensive areas of soft corals (mainly Sinularia, Lobophyton and Sarcophyton) are found among the rocky habitats. Fringing coral reefs and small coral patches occur around Coral Island (N 80 44.200’ E 810 10.590’) to a distance of about 200m and a depth of 4-6m. Live coral cover is about 71% dominated by Acropora spp. while colonies of Montipora spp., Porites, Galaxea, Favia, Favites, Platygyra and leptoria are common. Global and regional significance Coral reefs around Trincomalee and Pigeon Islands were the only reefs known to have escaped coral bleaching by 1998 El Nino ocean warming phenomenon in Sri Lanka and one of the few in the entire Indian Ocean, therefore are a good representative indicator of reef status prior to coral bleaching. The coral reefs in the Pigeon Islands was also largely unaffected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and one of the few remaining coral reefs in the country with a healthy live coral cover (over 70%) which is far above the global average of 32%. Major threats to the coral reef biodiversity Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) has seriously damaged the reefs in 1970s. The two small islands and their satellite rocky islets, just 500m offshore, was snorkeller’s paradise until hundreds of the voracious coral polyp feeding starfish completely destroyed the corals. Now they are largely re-established. However they are still commonly found in the area and ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Tsunami Coastal Restoration in Eastern Sri Lanka – Annex 2 continue to have an effect on corals. It is also have been reported that a population explosion by Sea anemone sp. of Order Corallimorpharians was a threat to the corals. They have been growing on newly dead corals and were actively expanding and smothering live corals, particularly, stag-horn coral (Acropora). The reef also sustained minor damage during a cyclone that affected the northeastern coastal area in 2000. The awakening tourist industry in the area is the major threat to the coral reefs. Trampling the coral, extraction of coals as souvenirs, operation of high-speed boats causing physical damage to shallow branching corals, solid waste pollution is some tourism related adverse impacts on the reefs. Blast fishing in the reef area, use of bottom set nets, collection of marine organisms for the aquarium trade, are other identified threats. Agricultural run-off which carries heavy loads of insecticides and excess fertilizer also pose a potential threat to the corals in the area. Increased climate changes resulting in the increased sea surface temperature (SST) makes the reefs vulnerable to mass coral bleaching in the future. Elevated SST and minor coral bleaching has been recorded in the Trincomalee area in 2004 and 2005 and several reefs in the Batticaloa District along the east coast had extensive bleaching up to depths of 20m. Impacts of tsunami Although the Pigeon Island ecosystem escaped significant damage from tsunami, the people who were depending on the reef for their livelihood were badly affected. Many are still unable to return to their livelihoods such as fishing and tourism related activities. Ad hoc response to the tsunami has resulted in an oversupply of fishing boats to communities in the area. Therefore, there is a potential for severe overexploitation of resources in the future. This could also lead to an increase in the use of destructive fishing methods due to increased competition for resources, which in turn would have negative impacts on coral reefs and the associated biota. 2. Vakarai mangroves Location and status The Vakarai mangrove ecosystem which associates the Upaar (Panichchankerni) lagoon is located 8003’- 8012’N, 81020’ - 810 7’ E, 5 km SE of Trincomalee and 50 km NW of Batticaloa District in the Eastern Province. The total area of the lagoon is about 2590ha. There are extensive mangrove swamps around the edges of the lagoons. The area that has been selected for the pilot project is at Mankerny in the Vakarai Divisional Secretary’s Division. Inhabitants in the area are said to be descendants of an indigenous tribe. Facilities such as electricity and telephone services are almost unknown to them. Majority live in poverty and over 70% earn a monthly income of less than Rs. 3750/= (37.50 US$). Subsistence fishing is one of the main activities and people also depend on agricultural activities. Cottage industries such as handloom and handicraft, goat and cattle keeping are carried out in a small way. Vakarai is within the area controlled by LTTE, therefore a similar site was identified in the Government controlled area in Valachchanai in case if there is a difficulty in working in Vakarai due to unexpected war situation. Global and regional significance The lagoon, especially the southern part, is known to be important for large waterbirds and migratory shorebirds, but no details are available. However, the lagoon system can be of global importance since they comprise the Eastern Flyway for migratory waterfowl, which annually visit Sri Lanka from the foothills of the Himalayas and from Siberia. Major threats to the mangrove/ lagoon biodiversity Deforestation of mangrove forest due to security reasons associated with civil unrest poses a major threat to the mangrove biodiversity and the problem is further aggravated as people in the area exploit them for their domestic use (house construction, firewood etc.). Siltation of lagoon bed due to various upstream irrigation and other development activities also have affecting the mangroves. The lagoon fish resources are affected by pollution from land based activities, use of prohibited fishing methods and gear and overexploitation of targeted species. Impacts of tsunami Natural threats such as cyclones and severe flood have always taken a heavy toll. Almost 100% of the 507 families living in the area were affected by the tsunami. 15 deaths have been reported and houses wee completely destroyed.