Environmental issues in Sri Lanka
Environmental issues in Sri Lanka include large-scale logging of forests and degradation of mangroves, coral reefs and soil.
Sri Lanka is also vulnerable to climate change impacts such as extreme weather events and sea level rise.
[1] These environmental problems have escalated because of a high population growth and the increasing industrialization in Sri Lanka since the 1980s.
[3] Due to deforestation in Sri Lanka the size of land covered by natural forests decreased from 80% in 1820 to 43% in 1948.
[5] The government of Sri Lanka has adopted the target to increase the size of land covered by forests to 32% by 2030.
[6] Sri Lanka's mangrove forests, small trees that grow in coastal water, have been decreased by 70% since 1915.
The reason for this is that mangroves offer products that can be used for cooking, building houses and fodder, as well as fish, and other food items.
[8] In 2015, the government of Sri Lanka reached an agreement with private companies, non-governmental organizations, researchers and members of affected communities.
[7] Coral reefs are threatened by human activities such as destructive fishing methods, coral-mining, pollution and unsustainable management practices.
They provide food, protect the coast, and are popular destination for tourists and therefore are important for people's income.
Most Sri Lankans live along the coast and the population is growing which will have greater negative consequences for the coral reefs.
Higher rates of soil erosion are caused by crops which are harvested annually like potatoes, most vegetables and tobacco.
These pollutants have negative impact on people's health as they can cause respiratory illnesses, asthma or even death.
In 2000, 80% of households burned firewood for cooking which sets free many fine particles that can cause respiratory illnesses, and cancer.
The pollution of lakes in Sri Lanka leads to algal blooms, which reduces the oxygen content and has negative consequences on fish populations.
Oil spills, chemicals and non-biodegradable waste such as plastic also decrease the quality of Sri Lanka's seawater.
[14][15][16] The French Development Agency (AFD) authorized a €75 million loan to improve sanitation services in Ratmalana and Moratuwa, two overpopulated and rapidly increasing suburbs.
These results influence the aesthetic of the landscape, decrease the biodiversity, cause health problems and have negative impacts on Sri Lanka's tourist industry.
Expected impacts are an increase in temperature, more frequent extreme weather events like floods and cyclones as well as sea level rise.
[24] The impacts on agriculture and fisheries will in turn influence food security and exports of crops and fishes.
Negative consequences for the environment include biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and water cycle disturbances.
These steps include but are not limited to building a more resilient infrastructure, actions to ensure human health and food security during and after climate change impacts like floods and cyclones, and the protection of the environment and the tourism sector.
[28][29] The incident was deemed the worst marine ecological disaster in Sri Lankan history[30][31] for the chemical products that spilled.
