Ministry of Environment Climate Change Secretariat Strengthening Capacity for Climate Change Adaptation ADB TA 7326 (SRI) Sector Vulnerability Profile: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services This is a draft document produced by the ADB‐financed consulting team for TA 7326‐SRI in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official position of either the Government of Sri Lanka or the Asian Development Bank. SVP Development Team Nayana Mawilmada - Team Leader/Strategic Planning Specialist Sithara Atapattu - Deputy Team Leader/Coastal Ecologist Jinie Dela - Environmental Specialist Nalaka Gunawardene – Communications & Education Specialist Buddhi Weerasinghe – Communications & Media Specialist Mahakumarage Nandana - GIS Specialist Aloka Bellanawithana - Project Assistant Ranjith Wimalasiri - EMO/Project Counterpart – Administration and Coordination Nirosha Kumari - EMO/Project Counterpart – Communications We acknowledge and appreciate all support provided by the Climate Change Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and the many other stakeholders who have contributed to this document. Refer Appendix D for the full list of stakeholders consulted during SVP preparation. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services SVP Sector Vulnerability Profile on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Table of Contents List of Boxes _________________________________________________________________________ iii List of Figures ________________________________________________________________________ iii List of Tables ________________________________________________________________________ iii List of Appendices ____________________________________________________________________ iv List of Acronyms and Abbreviation _______________________________________________________ v 1.0 Introduction ________________________________________________________________________ 1 1.1 Key factors influencing Sri Lanka’s biodiversity _____________________________________ 2 Environmental factors _______________________________________________________ 2 Cultural factors _____________________________________________________________ 4 1.2 Overview of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity _______________________________________________ 6 Forests ____________________________________________________________________ 9 Inland wetlands ____________________________________________________________ 15 Agricultural systems ________________________________________________________ 17 Coastal and marine systems __________________________________________________ 21 Ex-situ conservation facilities ________________________________________________ 25 Traditional knowledge and practices associated with conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity _____________________________________________________________ 27 1.3 Socio-economic importance of biodiversity ________________________________________ 28 Provision of water for domestic use ___________________________________________ 28 Fishery industry ____________________________________________________________ 28 Tourism industry ___________________________________________________________ 29 Agriculture and livestock sector ______________________________________________ 32 Health sector ______________________________________________________________ 32 2.0 Climate change related issues and vulnerability of the sector _____________________________ 34 2.1 Climate change induced risks ____________________________________________________ 35 Possible impacts of sea-level rise, coastal flooding,rising temperature and elevated CO2 concentration _____________________________________________________________ 35 Possible impacts on forests and terrestrial species ______________________________ 36 Possible impacts on inland wetlands __________________________________________ 37 Possible impacts on agricultural systems _______________________________________ 37 2.2 Vulnerability enhancing factors for biodiversity_____________________________________ 38 The main anthropogenic factors that currently threaten biodiversity and would reduce resilience of ecosystems and species to withstand impacts of climate change ___ Error! Bookmark not defined. Socio-economic issues that would arise due to impacts of climate change on biodiversity _______________________________________________________________ 40 2.3 Mapping Climate Change Vulnerability ____________________________________________ 40 3.0 Institutional and Policy Framework ___________________________________________________ 45 3.1 Institutional set-up _____________________________________________________________ 45 3.2 The main policies and laws that govern biodiversity conservation _____________________ 46 i Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services SVP 4.0 Current policies/plans/strategies and actions that support climate change adaptation __ Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.1 Measures taken that will help conservation of biodiversity by adaptation to climate change50 Sectoral legal and policy framework that supports climate change adaptation __ Error! Bookmark not defined. Key-cross-sectoral environmental plans and strategies that support adaptation __ Error! 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Past environmental related projects that supports adaptation ____________________ 53 Relevant institutional programmes ____________________________________________ 54 Maintaining protected areas _________________________________________________ 55 4.2 Relevant measures in place to address natural hazards _______________________________ 55 References ____________________________________________________________________________ 59 ii Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services SVP List of Boxes BOX 1 The main factors that currently affect Sri Lanka’s biodiversity (other than climate change) 2 BOX 2 Ecosystem Services _____________________________________________________________ 7 BOX 3 Factors identified as necessary to enhance ex-situ conservation of wild and agro-biodiversity in Sri Lanka ____________________________________________________________________________________ 27 BOX 4 Determinants of vulnerability of biodiversity at the global level ______________________ 34 BOX 5 Impacts of climate change on the weather in Sri Lanka _____________________________ 35 BOX 6 Adaptations options suggested by IPCC to the CBD as responses to climate change impacts with regard to biodiversity conservation ____________________________________________________________________________________ 44 BOX 7 Environmental considerations in overarching policies and plans that influence national development ____________________________________________________________________________________ 45 BOX 8 Landmark actions taken by Sri Lanka in response to climate change ___________________ 46 BOX 9 Impacts of natural hazards that affect Sri Lanka __________________________________ 53 List of Figures FIGURE 1 Altitudinal variation in Sri Lanka ________________________________________________ 3 FIGURE 2 Spatial distribution of rainfall in Sri Lanka sourse: GAP Analysis Report _______________ 3 FIGURE 3 Natural vegetation types in Sri Lanka sourse: GAP Analysis Report ___________________ 4 FIGURE 4 Sri Lanka’s stream network ____________________________________________________ 5 FIGURE 5 Sri Lanka’s irrigation tanks and hydropower reservoirs _____________________________ 5 FIGURE 6 The percent composition of Sri Lanka’s main natural forest categories in 1999 ________ 10 FIGURE 7 Sri Lanka’s fish production in 2009 from various sources ___________________________ 28 FIGURE 8 Fish production by commercial groups __________________________________________ 29 FIGURE 9 Value of export earnings from fishery products 2004-2009 __________________________ 29 FIGURE 10 Tourists arrivals by purpose of visit in 2008 _____________________________________ 29 FIGURE 11(a)Total number of visitors to forest reserves and (b)revenue in 2008 ________________ 30 FIGURE 12 Total number of visitors to the botanic gardens at Peradeniya, Gampaha and Hakgala from 2006 – 2009 and annual income from the same ____________________________________________________________________________________ 30 FIGURE 13 The main reasons for tourists visiting six wildlife reserves in Sri Lanka ______________ 31 FIGURE 14 Possible shifts in major climate zones due to climate change ______________________ 41 FIGURE 15 Possible forests affected by a shift in major climate zones due to climate change _____ 41 FIGURE 16 The potential vulnerabilities of biodiversity by DSD _______________________________ 42 FIGURE 17 The potential vulnerability of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity rich areas and sites of high endemism to climate change, by DSD __________________________________________ 43 List of Tables TABLE 1 Ecosystem diversity in Sri Lanka with provisional extents of ecosystem types ___________ 6 TABLE 2Species diversity among selected groups of Sri Lanka’s fauna and flora in terrestrial and freshwater wetlands _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8 TABLE 3 Comparison of forest cover in the country in 1992 and 1999 _________________________ 10 TABLE 4 Species planted in forest plantations by extent in 1999 and 2009 ____________________ 11 TABLE 5 Nationally threatened fauna and flora of Sri Lanka from selected taxonomic groups ____ 13 TABLE 6 Species diversity among selected groups of fauna in coastal and marine systems _______ 21 TABLE 7 Germplasm collection status by crop group at the PGRC ____________________________ 25 TABLE 8 Summary of Floriculture