By Thisuri Rojie Ekanayaka
As the winter weather rolls into the Northern Hemisphere while Sri Lanka’s skies begin to clear, the tourist industry prepares for “The Season” to begin. Indeed, post-war Sri Lanka has seen a boom in tourism, creating jobs for local communities and bringing in much needed foreign currency. The Western and Southern coasts have especially thrived, and together these areas account for over 60% of the hotel room capacity in the country. But this has also led to fears of Sri Lanka becoming “Bali 2.0” and it raises questions about whether we are doing enough to protect our fragile marine eco-systems.
The coasts of Sri Lanka cater to a wide variety of interests. You can simply relax on a beach, try a water sport or even check out the local wildlife. But in excess, these activities can exact a heavy environmental toll. Some of the major concerns are waste from hotels and restaurants; coastal erosion from unregulated construction; leaking of pollutants and disturbances to habitats from water sports and transport; as well as improper interactions with wildlife causing stress and injuries to animals.
Some key pieces of legislation that protect the environment from tourism include the Wildlife, Fauna and Flora Protection Act; the National Environmental Act; the Coastal Conservation Act; and the Tourism Act. Their implementation falls upon a range of government institutions. For instance, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority issues guidelines on water sports and wildlife tours during its registration processes while the Coast Conservation Department and Urban Development Authority regulate construction. The Sri Lanka Coast Guard meanwhile is mandated with monitoring environmental violations and engaging in conservation efforts.
Despite the existence of these laws and institutions, serious issues persist. According to industry insiders and experts, this is caused by a lack of awareness, poor enforcement of laws, corrupt practices in government agencies and insufficient penalties for violations. Tackling these problems is crucial but not sufficient. It’s also necessary to proactively support the conservation and regeneration of the environment. Lessons can be learnt from neighbours such as Thailand which have closed off certain tourist-heavy coastal regions temporarily to allow the environment to recover.
Striking a balance between supporting local economies and conservation is essential for success and this should not be seen as two entirely separate concerns. Adequately protecting Sri Lanka’s coasts will not only benefit the environment, but it will also ensure the sustainability of the tourism industry itself.
This article is also published in The Morning. Read it here: The Morning
Tourism’s Ocean Impact: Are Sri Lanka’s Regulations Enough?
By Thisuri Rojie Ekanayaka As the winter weather rolls into the Northern Hemisphere while Sri Lanka’s skies begin to clear, the tourist industry prepares for
Ship Strikes: A Threat to Sri Lanka’s Marine Life
By Madhushini Gananathan What is the unseen wave of death silently endangering the ocean’s most magnificent creatures? Ship strikes have been a drastic threat to
මුහුදු කැස්බෑවන් සත්ත්ව ලෝකයෙන් තුරන් වී යාවිද?
By Muthu Tharanga Rajapakse වසර මිලියන සියයකට අධික කාලයක සිට පරිණාමය වෙමින් පැවත එන මුහුදු කැස්බෑවන් ලොව පුරා ප්රධාන වශයෙන් විශේෂ හතක් හඳුනාගත හැකිය. ඉන්
