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Environmental issues inSri Lanka include large-scalelogging offorests and degradation ofmangroves,coral reefs andsoil.Air pollution andwater pollution are challenges for Sri Lanka since both cause negative health impacts.Overfishing and insufficientwaste management, especially inrural areas, leads to environmental pollution. Sri Lanka is also vulnerable toclimate change impacts such asextreme weather events andsea level rise.[1]
Industrialization andpopulation growth are major drivers of these environmental issues.[2] A lack of public awareness and governmental guidelines intensify the problems.[1]
These environmental problems have escalated because of a high population growth and the increasing industrialization in Sri Lanka since the 1980s. The industrialization led to an increase inautomobile use and energy consumption. The energy demand used to be almost covert byhydro power plants in 1988 (90%). The increased demands led to the construction of oil and coal firedthermal power plants which emit moregreenhouse gases thanrenewable energy technologies like hydro power plants.[2]
A lack of public awareness and participation in government policies andenvironmental standards has amplified the problems.[1] However, Sri Lanka's government has undertaken several efforts to encounter environmental issues.
Sri Lanka's central and southern parts are home tomontane forests, sub-montane forests and to lowlandrainforests. In contrast, sparse forests, mangroves, riverine dry forests and monsoon forests are located in the dry zone. These forest covers in Sri Lanka have been greatly reduced by legal and illegalforest clearing.[3]
Due todeforestation in Sri Lanka the size of land covered bynatural forests decreased from 80% in 1820 to 43% in 1948. This was partly caused byBritish colonialism from 1801 to 1948 which increased the amount oftea,coffee andrubber plantations. The natural forest cover further decreased to 23% in 2000.[1] In 2010, 29% of Sri Lanka's area was covered by forests (this number includes forest plantations).[4] Drivers of recentforest degradation are an increase in population, road construction, timber production, agricultural development and forest cleaning by private businessmen.[1] Even though there are conservation areas, the management is partly insufficient.[3] The extensive deforestation leads to a rise of the average surface temperature. Deforestation is also responsible for an increase in greenhouse gas emissions because trees removeCO2 from the air. Byclear cutting areas the CO2 returns to the air and thereby increases the atmospheric carbon concentration.[5]
Thegovernment of Sri Lanka has adopted the target to increase the size of land covered by forests to 32% by 2030. In order to achieve this, the government intends toreforest degraded forests, to increaseurban forests, and to improve the forest plantations.[5]
Sri Lanka had a 2018Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.83/10, ranking it 94th globally out of 172 countries.[6]
Sri Lanka's mangrove forests, small trees that grow in coastal water, have been decreased by 70% since 1915.[7] The size of mangrove ecosystems is being reduced because of the implementation ofagriculture andaquaculture systems likefisheries.Shrimp aquaculture projects are one of the biggest threats. The shrimp business is growing very fast because of high demand and high profits. One of the negative impacts of shrimp farms is that mangroves are being destroyed where the farms are built.[8]
Mangroves however are very important for people living close to the coast. 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. They also offer protection against floods andpollutants. Moreover, mangroves are important for otherecosystems and hostanimals likefish,crab andshrimp.[8]
In 2015, the government of Sri Lanka reached an agreement withprivate companies,non-governmental organizations, researchers and members of affected communities. This agreement protects all mangrove forests in Sri Lanka by law. Moreover, they agreed to launch mangrove reforestation activities and to create alternative sources of income for locals.[7]
Coral reefs are threatened by human activities such as destructive fishing methods, coral-mining, pollution and unsustainable management practices. Extensive aquaculture is the biggest threat to coral reefs. Shrimp farms are especially destructive to coral reefs.[9]
Coral reefs are very important for the coastal population. They providefood, protect thecoast, 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.[9]
Parts of the dry zone as well as the wet zone are damaged bysoil degradation.Soil erosion in Sri Lanka is 14 to 33 times bigger than it would be without human influence. It has negative impacts on agriculture as well as on people's livelihood.[10]
Soil degradation is mainly caused by unsustainable agricultural practices, high intensity rainfall and indirectly caused by population growth which results in increased consumption. Tree plantation such as tea and rubber plantation cause low rates of soil erosion. Higher rates of soil erosion are caused by crops which are harvested annually likepotatoes, mostvegetables andtobacco.[11] Soil degradation in the dry zone leads todesertification. The loss of soil also is a big problem near watersheds, because a lot of hydro power plants are built in those watersheds.[10]
Air pollution is a problem in Sri Lanka's cities and it is mostly caused by vehicles. The number of motor vehicles almost tripled during the 1990s which also led to an increase intraffic jams. The use of old vehicles and poor quality gas intensify negative consequences.[2]
Major air pollutants in Sri Lanka areoxides of carbon,oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur,particulates,inorganic compounds,hydrocarbons and the secondary pollutantphotochemical smog. These pollutants have negative impact on people'shealth as they can cause respiratory illnesses,asthma or even death. Dust falls are also an issue in areas with a high traffic density.[2]
Besides outdoor pollution, indoor pollution also is a concern. The pollutants listed above have even worse impacts inside motor vehicles and buildings. Air pollution inside buildings is a severe problem whenfirewood is used forcooking. In 2000, 80% ofhouseholds burned firewood for cooking which sets free many fine particles that can cause respiratory illnesses, andcancer.[2]
Domestic activities,industry and agriculture cause water pollution in Sri Lanka.[2]
Rivers andlakes are most affected by pollutants. Pollutants that end up in lakes aresewage, vegetable waste and waste from hospitals. The pollution of lakes in Sri Lanka leads toalgal blooms, which reduces theoxygen content and has negative consequences on fish populations. TheKelani river is especially polluted because it flows through industrial areas. Industrial waste is often discharged into the river, treated or untreated. Moreover, dumps that are located close to rivers have negative influences on the water quality. Large amounts ofpesticides used in the agricultural sector also get into the water of rivers and lakes.Groundwater andsurface water are also polluted by the heavy use offertilizer and pesticides and by storm run-offs.[2] Coastal andmarine waters are threatened by pesticides, fertilizer, industrial waste and run-offs from waste dumps.[4] Rivers that flow out into the sea deteriorate the sea water.Oil spills, chemicals and non-biodegradable waste such as plastic also decrease the quality of Sri Lanka's seawater.[12][13] Microplastic pollution has resulted in a drastic reduction of fish stocks.[14]
In 2000, only 25% of the households in Sri Lanka got their water through pipes. Even the water that does come through the pipe from local suppliers is not monitored efficiently. This is why a part of the population does not get clean drinking water.[2] Sri Lanka's wastewater management requires a lot of work. Only approximately 2.5 percent of the population, primarily in the Colombo region, has access to sewers.[15][16][17]
The French Development Agency (AFD) authorized a €75 million loan to improve sanitation services inRatmalana andMoratuwa, two overpopulated and rapidly increasing suburbs. This initiative will provide better sanitation services to 44, 500 individuals.[15][18][19]
Sri Lanka faces managerial problems inwaste collection andwaste disposal.[5]
A study from 2005 revealed that only 24% of the household had waste management and the percentage of access to waste collection is even smaller in rural areas (2%). Increased waste generation is caused by high population growth, industrialization,urbanization and increasedconsumption.[20]
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Provinces and local authorities are over-strained by these large amounts. Collected waste is often brought to open dumps and is not treated. Moreover, some dumps are located in environmentally sensitive locations or close to residential areas. These problems are caused by a lack of governmental regulations and public commitment but also a lack of technical knowledge, low financial resources and too little suitable space for waste disposal sites. The effects of poor waste management is waste laying in the streets, waterways and swamps. These results influence the aesthetic of the landscape, decrease thebiodiversity, cause health problems and have negative impacts on Sri Lanka's tourist industry. The study shows that in areas without waste collection, the majority of people dump their waste that should be going to thelandfill in their backyard.Plastics andpaper are often burned or also disposed in the backyard. Moreover,green waste is burned by 80% of the household in the southern provinces that do not have access to waste collection.[21]
Sri Lanka's government aims to address these problems by implementingwaste sorting systems in households, improved waste collection by municipalities and cities, composting systems and systematic treatment ofhazardous waste from the industry and clinics.[5]
Sri Lanka is experiencing declines in fish populations due to overfishing.[22]
Sri Lanka's geographic location makes it vulnerable for climate change impacts. Expected impacts are an increase in temperature, more frequent extreme weather events likefloods andcyclones as well as sea level rise.[23] Sea level rise is especially critical for Sri Lanka's coastal regions.[5] These impacts negatively influence agriculture, fisheries, tourism,[24] people's livelihood, and the environment.[25] The impacts on agriculture and fisheries will in turn influencefood security andexports ofcrops and fishes. Negative consequences for the environment includebiodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation andwater cycle disturbances.[5]
Sri Lanka has set goals in theirIntended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) how to implement climate changemitigation andadaptation strategies in order to prevent severe climate change impacts. The government has already implemented regulations and guidelines like the National Climate Change Policy of Sri Lanka, the Climate Change Vulnerability Profiles and the Technology Action Plans for Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation in 2014. Moreover, steps have been taking to reduce possible impacts of climate change in Sri Lanka. These steps include but are not limited to building a more resilientinfrastructure, 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.[5]
Plastic pollution is a significant environmental issue in Sri Lanka.[26] The country's beautiful beaches, rivers, and urban landscapes often suffer from the accumulation of plastic waste due to insufficient waste management infrastructure and a prevalent use of single-use plastics.[27][28] The Sri Lankan government has implemented measures such as bans on specific single-use plastic products to address this problem.[29] Despite these efforts, the impact on the country's marine life and natural ecosystems is substantial, with plastic debris affecting biodiversity and ecosystem health.[30] Additionally,microplastic pollution is reported in all environmental compartments, land,[31] fresh water,[32] marine and coastal environments.[13] Furthermore, the presence of microplastics in seafood has also been reported in Sri Lanka.[33]
X-Press Pearl was aSingapore-registeredSuper Eco 2700–classcontainer ship. The vessel entered service in February 2021 and was around 186 metres (610 ft) long.[34] It was operated byX-Press Feeders.
On 20 May 2021,X-Press Pearl caught fire off the coast ofColombo,Sri Lanka.[35] The vessel was engulfed in flames by 27 May and declared atotal loss. It was still afloat, and the fire was thought to be under control by Sri Lankan firefighters by the late hours of 27 May 2021.[36] After burning for 12 days, the vessel sank on 2 June as it was being towed to deeper waters.[37][38] The incident was deemed the worst marine ecological disaster in Sri Lankan history[39][40] for the chemical products that spilled.[41]
According to X-Press Feeders,[42] salvage operations to remove the wreck began in November 2021. All work on site is expected to be completed by April 2023. Salvage work was interrupted during the southwest monsoon from late April to November 2022.
According to a 2021United Nations report, it was the largest recorded plastic spill, releasing about 70–75 billion nurdles that take centuries to degrade.[43]
