Re-greening Lanka through tropical forests

by a correspondent

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka launched the 'EC UNDP Small Grants Programme for Operations to Promote Tropical Forests' (SGP PTF), to promote sustainable forest management in direct partnership with local stakeholders.

The principal thrust of SGP PTF is the execution of small forest related projects by civil society organisations at country level, which will serve as the basis for lessons to be drawn and policy guidance to be provided. This initiate is funded by the European Commission (EC) and is managed by UNDP through the Executing Agency, the South Est Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMO) Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

Miguel Bermeo, Resident Representative of UNDP commented, "it is widely accepted, in Sri Lanka, that deforestation is one of the main environmental and social problems in the country. Forests yield various products and also have a vital role in the protection of soil and water resources, and of biodiversity. Unless planned action is taken to halt deforestation and forest degradation, there will be adverse impacts on the ability of the nation's forests to provide much-needed products and ecological security for the people. It is very much evident that the population increase has a direct impact to the declining of the forest cover."

Sri Lanka is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, ranking 19 in population density (Maddumbabandara, 2000). It is also the second most populous nation among the countries of the south Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The increase in population and the resulting demands for land, for agriculture and other development programmes have seen forest cover dwindling over the recent years. A survey based on satellite imageries carried out in 1992 shows that close canopy natural forest cover has reduced to almost 24 per cent in 1994.

One of the main underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation is the poverty that is often associated with landlessness and the poor land tenure system. Shifting cultivation, excessive harvesting of forest products and the conversion of natural forests to plantation and arable land are the other significant factors that have influenced the unprecedented deforestation.

As a result of these trends, forest area per capita has declined from about 1.3 ha in 1990 to less than 0.1 ha in 1992, (MALF, 1995).

The most serious consequences of deforestation and forest degradation are reduction in biodiversity due to destruction of habitats of fauna and flora, irregular water flow and drying up of natural springs and reduction in base flow of streams together with flash floods during rainy seasons, shortened life spans of irrigation reservoirs and channels, loss of soil fertility associated with soil erosion resulting in the reduction of agricultural productivity, widening gap between the demand and the supply for wood products resulting in rapidly increasing prices together with increasing imports of swan wood and other wood products, scarcity of fuel-wood in certain localities, and contribution to green house gas emissions, resulting in the reduced well-being of the present as well as future generations.

According to Nimal Karunaratne, PTF Coordinator of the United Nations Development Programme for Sri Lanka, "the situation being thus, the long-term vision of SGP PTF Sri Lanka is 'the conservation and improved sustainable forest management through an active partnership with State, rural communities and private sector."

Its objectives are participatory forest biodiversity conservation, development of alternative livelihood initiatives and enhancement of skills and capacities of local communities, sustainable forest management with community participation to ensure sustained delivery of better forest services, sustainable forest management with community participation to ensure better delivery of forest goods, development of forest services and goods through multi sector partnerships, and promoting the development of alternative forest resource base.

UNDP's SGP PTF Sri Lanka has already awarded micro capital grants ranging between US $ 50,000 - US$ 100,000 to five non-governmental organisations to support community led initiatives that envisage conservation and sustainable use of forest resources. "They were chosen out of 142 submissions, based on the degree of community participation, importance of core-forest area ranked under the National Conservation Review (NCR) of the Forest Department, and compliance with the thematic areas of SGP PTF, as well as the degree to which gender concerns are addressed," explained Karunaratne about the project proposals that qualified for the grants.

The qualifying initiatives are a community based mangrove rehabilitation and management programme in the Puttalam lagoon by the Turtle Conservation Project of Kosgoda, conversion of pine plantations to natural forests and promotion of joint forest management involving buffer zone community members by the Project Environment Protection Foundation of Kamburupitiya, Matara creation of market opportunities for mangrove forests communities as an initiative for sustainable management of tropical forests in the Southern coast by the Environment and Economic Consultancy Service, sustainable use of non timber forest products and conservation of Bambarabotuwa Forest Reserve with the participation of buffer zone communities by the People's Development Foundation of Ratnapura, and biodiversity conservation of Nilgala Forest Reserve and sustainable use of non-wood forest resources by the Conservation Area Management Committee (CAMC) together with Lower Uva Development Center (LUDC).

Mangrove forests, about 87 sq. km. in extent, are one of the unique natural tropical forests that occur in the coastal regions in Sri Lanka, and they provide critical ecological and socio-economic services for the existence of biophysical and socio-economic subsystems on earth.

There are 14 species of true mangroves and 12 species of mangrove associates in Sri Lanka. Being an island, coastal land area in Sri Lanka represents 24 per cent of the total land area of 62,705 sq. km. excluding inland waters. The 6.12 million coastal population represent 34 per cent of the total population, and the population density of the coastal region is 446 persons per sq. km.

"As a result of these human dominated maritime features, there are a large number of land-based activities such as coral mining, destruction of coastal vegetation, salt farming, incorrect siting of tourism facilities, sand mining, prawn farming and unauthorised development activities, that impact on the coastal zone, particularly, on mangrove forests," said Dr. B. M. S. Batagoda, the Executive Director of the Environment and Economic Consultancy Service.

He added that "these important fragile mangrove forests in the country are being gradually destroyed due to these destructive uses and that this was mainly due to the inability of decision-makers to recognise non-market benefits of mangroves." Dr. Batagoda elaborated that the overall objective of their project "is to create innovative market opportunities for mangrove communities as an incentive for sustainable mangrove forest management in Ittepana, Meegama in the southern coast of Sri Lanka."

According to Thushan Kapurusinghe, Project Leader of the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP), the overall objective of their initiative is to increase the extent of tropical mangrove forests and local biodiversity in Puttalam lagoon to provide goods and services to the local community members in a sustainable manner, bearing in mind the long-term conservation and management needs.

Kapurusinghe states "the Puttalam lagoon has the largest mangrove patch (3210 ha) in Sri Lanka. But, they are under the serious threat of extinction due to overexploitation by coastal communities, aqua culturists, and land developers." He added that, therefore, TCP would be re-establishing mangrove forest parches covering approximately 6 km, with community participation.

Planting of pines in Sri Lanka began in 1960, and the establishment of pine plantations in Matara dates back to 1971. The Forest Department has 1636 ha of mature pine plantations in Masmulla, Dandeniya, Kekunadura and Aparekka beats, of which 200 ha were released in 1995 to the Environment Conservation Foundation (ECF) to extract pine resin.

Over 250 rural families from the adjacent villages were involved in the tapping operations and each taper was earning over Rs. 5,000 a month from this activity. Due to the completion of the tapping cycle and over maturity of the pine trees the tapping operations were interrupted by the Forest Department in 2004 and these tappers, of whom 95 per cent were women, are now unemployed.

During the period of pine tapping, people protected the forest for the benefits it brought. But now, the pine plantations are being destroyed by villagers mostly by setting fire to them and by encroaching on the land for other uses. The ECP, through the EC UNDP SGP PTF project, is aiming at converting these plantations into a desired natural forest by restoring the natural flora and fauna which is endemic to this area and conserving the forest with the involvement of the rural people.

For centuries, our forefathers have been living in harmony with nature. To a great extent people have been dependent on various forms of forest products and services, thus establishing a very close relationship between the people and forests. "However, in the recent past this relationship has been broken down due to various social and economic reasons.

And, the government has adopted various approaches to keep the people away from the forests with genuine intentions of forest protection," said W. R. M. S. Wickramasinghe, Chairman of the SGP PTF National Steering Committee and Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

The failure of centralised forest management approaches of the State has led the relevant authorities to redirect and reorient its forest management strategies. This has resulted in the National Forest Policy recognising the importance of developing participatory approaches, particularly with local communities, for forest management with a view to optimising the benefits to these communities, whilst ensuring the sustainability of the forest resources.

In keeping with this national policy, the Forest Department in particular, has been increasingly seeking the involvement of local communities in forest management. "Therefore, I consider UNDP's SGP PTF as a landmark program in the sphere of Participatory Forest Management in Sri Lanka. I am confident this programme will be able to develop some replicable Participatory Forest Management Models and will also sensitise local community groups to undertake such programs. I am hopeful the government will be able to mainstream the innovative forest management approaches that will be evolved through SGP PTF project processes," remarked Wickramasinghe.

The SGP PTF of UNDP Sri Lanka will continue to accept concepts for possible funding till May 30, 2005. The key thematic areas identified to be funded are participatory forest biodiversity conservation, development of alternative livelihood initiatives and enhancement of skills and capacities of local communities, sustainable forest management with community participation to ensure sustained delivery of better forest services, sustainable forest management with community participation to ensure better delivery of forest goods, development of forest services and goods through multi sector partnerships, and promoting development of alternative forest resources bases.