JUNE 2016 Working Paper Series No. 23 RE-DEFINING URBAN AREAS IN SRI LANKA BILESHA WEERARATNE INSTITUTE OF POLICY STUDIES OF SRI LANKA Copyright C June 2016 Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka ISBN 978-955-8708-93-4 National Library of Sri Lanka-Cataloguing-In-Publication Data Weeraratne, Bilesha Re-Defining Urban Areas in Sri Lanka / Bilesha Weeraratne .- Colombo : Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, 2016 36p.; 28cm. .- (Working Paper Series ; No.23) ISBN 978-955-8708-93-4 i. 330.91732 DDC23 ii. Title iii. Series 1. Economics - Sri Lanka 2. Urban Economics - Sri Lanka Please address orders to: Bilesha Weeraratne is currently Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka a Research Fellow, attached to the Labour, Employment and 100/20, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka Human Resources Development Tel: +94 11 2143100 Fax: +94 11 2665065 unit at the IPS. She is also Email: [email protected] serving as an International Consultant to the Asian Website: www.ips.lk Development Bank, Philippines Blog: ‘Talking Economics’ - http://ipslk.blogspot.com and the World Bank,USA. Previously, Bilesha was a Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkEconomicsSL Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA. Prior to moving to the United States, she worked at the IPS and at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Suggested citation: Weeraratne, Bilesha. 2016. Re-Defining Urban Areas in Sri Lanka. Working Paper Series No.23, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, Colombo. INSTITUTE OF POLICY STUDIES OF SRI LANKA Working Paper Series No. 23 Re-Defining Urban Areas in Sri Lanka BILESHA WEERARATNE Re-Defining Urban Areas in Sri Lanka Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES &TABLES II ACKNOWLEDGEMENT III ABSTRACT IV 1. Motivation 01 2. Policy Environment 02 3. Evolution of Urban Definition in Sri Lanka 03 4. Review of Urban Definitions 05 5. Ideal Definition 06 6. Alternative Definition 08 7. Discussion 12 8. Summary 13 References 14 Appendices 16 i Working Paper List of Figures Figure 2.1: Urban Population in Sri Lanka 1881 - 2012 04 Figure 6.1: Population Density in 2012 10 Figure 6.2: Well Water Usage at GND Level - 2012 11 Figure 6.3: Firewood Usage at GND Level - 2012 11 Figure 6.4: Urban Areas as Per Alternative Definition - 2012 12 List of Tables Table 6.1: Distribution of GND Level Population Data - National 09 Table 6.2: Distribution of GND Level Use of Well Water and Firewood 11 Table 6.3: Alternative Estimates of Urban Population 11 ii Re-Defining Urban Areas in Sri Lanka Acknowledgement This research was supported by the core grant funding provided to IPS by the Think Tank Initiative of IDRC, Canada. The author acknowledges the support of Mrs. Shanti Fernando, Director General Land Use Policy Planning Department (LUPPD) and Mr. Jayananda of LUPPD for proving GN level land area data and Mr. Nimal Gunathilake of The University of Colombo for preparing GIS maps. The author also wishes to thank Dr. Dushni Weerakone and Dr. Nisha Arunatilake for their valuable comments, Mr. D. D. M. Waidyasekera for editing the manuscript, Mr. Jehan Aloysius for providing the cover photograph, and Ms. Asuntha Paul for formatting the publication. iii Working Paper Abstract The existing urban population estimate in Sri Lanka fails to reflect the true level of urbanization due to the inappropriate definition adopted. This paper develops an alternative definition for urban areas in Sri Lanka to reconcile the mismatch between actual and existing estimates, by reviewing definitions adopted in other countries and analyzing perceptions of Key Informants. The author defines a Grama Sevaka division as urban if it has a minimum population of 750 persons, a population density greater than 500 persons per km2 , firewood dependence of less than 95 percent of households, and well water dependence of less than 95 percent of households. Using data from the Land Use Policy Planning Department and Department of Census and Statistics, the author estimates that 43.8 percent of Sri Lankan population live in urban areas. The paper makes an important contribution to Sri Lanka's policy and legislative arena to revise the existing definition of urbanization. Author Keywords: Urbanization, Sri Lanka JEL classification codes: R11, R12 iv Re-Defining Urban Areas in Sri Lanka idrdxYh Y%S ,xldfõ j;auka kd.ßl ck ;lafiarej ms<sn|j ksjerÈ w¾: oelaùula fkdue;sùu ksid kd.ÍlrKfha ienE ;;ajh úoyd oelaùug wiu;a ú we;' fuu m;%sldj u.ska fjk;a rgj, wkq.ukh lrk w¾:l;k úuiqug ,la lrñka yd m%Odk f;dr;=re m%jdy úNd. lrñka ;:H yd ienE weia;fïka;= w;r we;s fjki yqjd oelaùug wod<j Y%S ,xldfõ kd.ßl m%foaY ms<sn|j úl,am w¾: oelaùula bÈßm;a lrhs' fuu úl,am w¾:l;khg wkqj ck.yKh 750g jeä" ck >k;ajh j¾. lsf,da ógrhg mqoa.,hka 500 jeä" or bkaOk Ndú;h ksjdi 95] wvq" yd ,sx c,h Ndú;h 95] wvq .%du fiajl jiï kd.ßl f,i ie,fla' by; úl,am w¾:l;khg wkqj Y%S ,xldfõ ck.yKfhka 43'8] la kd.ßl m%foaYj, jdih lr;s' kd.ÍlrKh ms<sn|j we;s j;auka w¾: oelaúu m%;sfYdaOkh lsÍu i|yd fuu m;%sldj u.ska Y%S ,xldfõ m%;sm;a;sh yd jHjia:dodhl lafIa;%hg w.kd odhl;ajhla ,nd foa' v Working Paper gpupj;njLg;G nghUj;jkw;w tiutpyf;fzk; gad;gLj;jg;gl;likapd; fhuzkhf ,yq;ifapd; cz;ikahd efu kakhf;fiy ,yq;ifapd; jw;nghOija efu rdj;njhif njhlu;ghd kjpg;gPL ntspg;gLj;j jtwptpl;Ls;sJ. fpilf;ff; $ba Kf;fpakhd jfty;fspd; Nehf;F uPjpahd gFg;gha;T kw;Wk; Vida ehLfspy; gad;gLj;jg;gLfpd;w tiutpyf;fzq;fis kPsha;T nra;tjd; Clhf cz;ikahd kw;Wk; jw;nghOJ fhzg;gLk; kjpg;gPL Mfpatw;Wf;fpilNaahd nghUj;jg;ghbd;ikapid ,zf;fk; nra;Ak; Nehf;fpy; ,yq;ifapy; efug;Gwq;fSf;fhd khw;Wtop tiutpyf;fznkhd;iw ,e;j Ma;T gj;jpuk; mgptpUj;jp nra;fpd;wJ. fpukh Nritahsu; gpupT xd;wpy;> Mff; Fiwe;j rdj;njhif 750 Ngu;> ,uz;L fpNyhkPw;wu; rJu gug;gstpy; 500 Ngu; nfhz;l ,dr; nrwpT> tPl;Lj; Jiwapdupy; 95 rjtPjj;jpYk; Fiwthdtu;fs; tpwFj; Njitapy; jq;fpapUj;jy; kw;Wk; tPl;Lj; Jiwapdupy; 95 rjtPj;jpw;Ff; Fiwthd kf;fs; fpzw;W ePu; Njitapy; jq;fpapUf;fpd;wikapid nfhz;bUg;gpd; me; epiyikapid ,e;j vOj;jhsu; efug; gpuNjrkhf tiuaWf;fpd;whu;. ,yq;ifr; rdj;njhifapy; 43.8 rjtPjkhd kf;fs; efug; gpuNjrq;fspy; thof;fpd;whu;fs; vd fhzpg; gad;ghl;L jpl;lkply; jpizf;fsk; kw;Wk; Fbj;njhif kw;Wk; Gs;sptpgutpay; jpizf;fsj;jpd; juTfisg; gad;gLj;jp vOj;jhsu; kjpg;gPL nra;fpd;whu;. jw;nghOJ fhzg;gLk; efukakhf;fy; njhlu;ghd vz;zf;fUj;ij khw;Wtjw;F ,yq;ifapd; nfhs;if tFg;ghsu;fs; kw;Wk; rl;lthf;fj; JiwapdUf;F kpf Kf;fpakhnjhU gq;fspg;gpid ,e;j Ma;T mwpf;if ntspg;gLj;Jfpd;wJ. vi Re-Defining Urban Areas in Sri Lanka 1. Motivation Sri Lanka is a middle income The latest definition of urban areas taking into economy with a visibly high rate of account the characteristics of the urbanization and grand plan for statistics population rather than based on further urbanization through the indicate that administrative considerations alone' envisioned Western Region DCS ([2014], pg.74). Ellis & Roberts Megapolis Project (WRMPP, 2016). only 18.2 (2016) highlights that such a Nonetheless, the latest statistics definition should be based on indicate that only 18.2 percent of the percent of the functional instead of administrative population live in urban areas. This population live criteria. does not reflect the true level of In this context, this paper develops urbanization in Sri Lanka. World in urban areas. an alternative definition for urban Bank (n.d., pg.8) notes that 'while This does not areas in Sri Lanka with the purpose urbanization data in Sri Lanka are of economic integration. The new much debated, there is consensus reflect the true definition is based on a mixed that the country is urbanizing faster level of methodology of analyzing definitions than the statistical figures suggest'. used in other countries and Similarly, Ellis & Roberts (2016) note urbanization in perceptions of Key Informant that many cities in Sri Lanka are "under-bounded" - the true extent of Sri Lanka. the city extends beyond its As such 'it is administrative boundaries, while as indicator of economic development much as one-third of the population of a country and living standards of important to may be living in areas that ought to the people, the current official be classified as urban areas. Rein- statistics (18.2 percent) fail to reflect introduce a forcing this, DCS (2014, pp. 10) the actual population that live in realistic confirms that the current definition urban areas in Sri Lanka. underestimates the degree of definition of Nonetheless, the latest development urbanization and the urban plans have a massive emphasis on urban areas population 'would have been much urban areas such as developing higher if the definitional issues were taking into entire Western Region into a resolved'. Megapolis. These development account the The issues concerning the definition initiatives compounded by characteristics of urbanization revolve around its movement of people into urban administrative underpinnings. As per areas will expand the urban of the the existing definition, Municipal population by many folds. In order to Councils (MCs) and Urban Councils better address the challenges and population (UCs) are considered urban areas. issues that will accompany rather than Until 1987, in addition to MCs and urbanization, Sri Lanka should be UCs, Town Councils (TCs) were also geared with a better understanding based on considered urban.