Environment
law project report
Sustainable tourism
including eco-tourism
“To
establish and position sri lanka as Asia’s most treasured and greenest island,
with its beautiful beaches, warm and friendly people, with a strong nature,
culture and adventure offering, rising its profile to that of an Asian tourism
icon and make it the largest foreign exchange earner benefiting the stakeholders
of the tourism and the people of sri lanka.”
In the light
of the vision statement and the principle of eco-tourism discussed the current
trends in the tourism development projects in Sri Lanka and their impact and
the communities
Date of
submission 30th November 2011
Table of
content
1) What
is the history of tourism in Sri Lanka?............................................................................................03
i) Ten strategic targets…………………………………………………………………………………………………05
2) What
is the eco-tourism?..................................................................................................................................06
3) Martha
Honey's definition of eco tourism…………………………………………………………………….. 07
4)
Proposed tourism zone in Sri Lanka………………………………………………………………………….….10
i) Passikudha
project …………………………………………………………………………………………..10
ii) Kalpitiya
project ……………………………………………………………………………………………..11
iii) Eastern
region development………………………………………………………………………….…12
5) Environment impact related to tourism
industry in internationally……………………………...13
7) Sri
Lankan sustainable tourism development project……………………………………………….…..17
8) Environment
laws, regulation and institution in Sri Lank…………………………………………….17
9) How
hotel kandalama has adopted eco- principle………………………………………………………..20
i) Minimum
impact to the Environment……………………………………………………………...20
ii) Waste
reduction, recycling and reusing…………………………………………………………..21
iii) Provides financial benefits and
empowerment for local people……………………….21
iv) Builds environmental awareness…………………………………………………………………….21
10) conclusion
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………22
1) What is the History of tourism in Sri
Lanka?
Sri Lanka is an island country with a rich
cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, and a significant number of wildlife
reserves. Increasing tourist activities are apparent as a means of foreign
exchange to improve the quality of life of local people. After a decade of
decline due to ethnic unrest, tourist activities in Sri Lanka have shown
promising signs of recovery. Today, tourism is the fourth largest foreign
exchange earner in Sri Lanka and contributes significantly to the economic
growth and development of this island country.
Sri Lanka’s diverse landscapes and rich
cultural heritage present a wide range of tourism opportunities, ranging from
“sun and beach” holidays, wildlife excursions, and cultural tours. Generally,
Sri Lanka’s tourism resources are relatively under exploited. Although “sun and
beach tourism” remains the main attraction for most foreign visitors,
alternative tourism like ecotourism, nature tourism, and cultural and heritage
tourism on a smaller scale has been promoted as a sustainable alternative to
avoid the negative social, economic, and environmental impacts often associated
with mass tourism development.
Sri Lanka is gifted with an plenty of tourism
resources of considerable diversity, including beaches along its 1585 km
coastline, natural , ecological and wildlife attractions, indigenous culture,
Buddhist heritage, and remnants left by Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and British
seafarers. Since its independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has enjoyed a growing
number of visitors and sustained growth in the tourism industry. However,
tourism activities declined dramatically in the mid-1980s due to ethnic unrest
and violence between the Tamil Hindu minority and the Sinhalese Buddhist
majority. Today, tourists can freely travel most of the parts including
northern, the eastern coast, and the far southeast.
In the 1990s, the government of Sri Lanka
took initiatives to revive the tourism sector, including the introduction of
the Tourism Master Plan. Attractive incentives were provided for foreign
investors in tourism sector development.
In 1992, a ten-year tourism master plan (1992-2001) was prepared with
assistance from UNWTO and funding from UNDP. The master plan envisaged “a
moderate pace for tourism development that takes into consideration the socio-cultural
and environmental capacity to optimize economic benefits and minimize potential
adverse impacts”.
In 1998, a Presidential Task Force reported on the
tourism sector. Between 2000 and 2001, a series of studies were conducted. In
2002, a national industry committee prepared a “Five-Year Strategy for Growth”. Subtitled “Transforming
the Sri Lankan Tourism Industry”, this document contained a substantial framework of tourism strategies
designed to last until the end of 2006. Later new strategic plan was introduced
as national strategy for Sri Lankan tourism (2009-2012)
It s better to have a look in to the vision statement
of the national strategy for Sri Lankan tourism (2009-2012) it says
"To establish and position Sri Lanka as
Asian's most treasured and greenest island, with its beautiful beaches, warm and friendly
people, with a strong nature, culture and adventure offering, rising its profile to that of an Asian tourism
icon and make it the largest foreign
exchange earner benefitting the
stakeholders of tourism and the people of Sri Lanka”
In this statement clearly visible as developing nation we need to
boost our economy in order to reach the economic objectives. That cannot be
done without developing existing facilities and entreating sites available from
long ago. Trend and taste of the people (guest) have changed and new competitor
in the region like Maldives, India, and Malaysia have come up and we are losing
our markets in the sector.
We can’t depend on our old projects and need to implement new
developing projects proposed by the economist. On the other hand environment
activist and political activist in the local and international arena are
protesting against the projects. Not only that so many environment principle
and concept are widely recognized and applying in the international and domestically.
In this condition to achieve the vision of the strategic plan what we have to
do? only thing we need to do is the management of environment.
There are few goals to be achieved by the Sri Lanka. it seems lot
of challengers are behind the screen due to the conflict between the object (development
vs environment) as everyone knows that when increase the infrastructure facility
like buildings ,roads, communication air ports and other necessaries and capacity to cater the rapidly growing market in
the industry the more and more recourse and material have to be used the
natural landscaping and natural surrounding will be changed and special management
methods and technology have to be used to overcome the bad impacts.
In this context the most
suitable answer is sustainable tourism
more especially eco –tourism in
related to tourism .this is the only solution available as we are responsible
government or the responsible member of the international community to fulfill
the high economic demand and limited resources. Environment should be protected
as it is and people must fulfill the requirement of their life either party
don’t want to be dissatisfied
Let’s take a look what are the ten strategic targets that can be
seen in the strategic plan and some of the main development areas that can harm
to the environment and the vision
i) Ten strategic targets
·
To build as more diverse product
range
·
To
make Sri Lanka more accessible
·
To attract 1.5 million tourist arrivals per annum (if peace prevails,
by 2016)
·
To increase yield per tourist from US$ 80 to USS 130
·
To create an additional 7,000 rooms by 2016 with the right conditions
·
To further develop the East & North West with the development(existing sites and cities (resorts
& new resorts)To help traditional markets grow and open up new
markets
·
To
exceed world-class service levels and hospitality
·
To
increase domestic tourism
·
To help the MSME (Micro Small Medium Enterprise) sector grow
It seems there are lots of challengers to achieve these objectives.
Among those challengers our discussion has to be s limited to adverse impact or
the environment impact to the natural environment. By the strategic plan very
much focus has been made regarding the infrastructure facilities development
such as
Quality road to destination, Quality rooms, Quality vehicle, and
new transport mode like sea plane, small aircraft, and helicopters. Additionally new international air port and small regional air ports are in
the plan as a alternative to the poor quality of road(Weeravila).though we are
surrounded by Sea, it is not using as a
travel mode but the plan is focusing to expect cruise ship from outside with
the help of ports available in Colombo,Trinco and Hambantota
The product range development is another key fact traditionally we
use sun.sea and sand beaches but under new plan range will be added with
several others event like dolphin watching ,capturing lobsters etc (new events
expected to implement in the new site has mention under the Kalpitiya Dutch bay
resort)
Bringing,
one and half million visitors in to the country is another objective but the
resources requirement for such big amount of visitors is great. Sometime over
usage of tourist site and gathering unbearable amount of people is can lead to
a great issue and that challenge has to be addressed (possible advers impat
will be discussed under the tropic of Environmental Impacts of Tourism industry)
2)What is the eco-tourism?
Any
how people use different words to identify the ecotourism with different view,
sometime to promote them self and to take the attention of the general public
to their business despite the real ingredient of the ecotourism
Example
“Eco-Tourism" and "Adventure Travel”. "Sustainable
Tourism", "Responsible Tourism","Nature Based Travel",
"Green Travel", “Multi-Sport Adventures" and "Cultural
Tourism". There for it very
necessary to have a clear idea about what is ecotourism and how this concept
can be used to achieve the sustainable
development
According to the most researchers found out Eco-tourism perhaps the most
over-used and mis-used word in the travel industry. But what does it realy mean?
The Ecotourism Society defines it as "responsible travel to natural
areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local
people". Mere involvement of nature
will not constitute eco –tourism
Illustration
A walk through the rainforest is not
eco-tourism unless that particular walk somehow benefits that environment and
the people who live there. A rafting
trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect the
watershed. A loose interpretation of
this definition allows many companies to promote them as something that they
are not. They suggest if true eco-tourism is important to you, ask plenty of
questions to determine if your trip will help to local people and raise the
awareness among them
The Australian Commission on National
Ecotourism Strategy calls it:
"nature-based tourism that involves education and interpretation of
the natural environment and is managed to be ecologically sustainable"
3)Martha Honey's definition
In this context since the publication of her
excellent book "Ecotourism and Sustainable Development" Martha
Honey's definition is quickly becoming the standard. Most serious studies of ecotourism including
several University programs now use this as the working definition. There are 7
defining points to be noticed and let’s have a look what are those
i) Involves
travel to natural destinations.
These destinations are often remote areas,
whether inhabited or uninhabited, and are usually under some kind of
environmental protection at the national, international, communal or private
level.
ii) Minimizes
Impact.
Tourism causes damage. Ecotourism strives to minimize the adverse
affects of hotels, trails, and other infrastructure by using either recycled
materials or plentifully available local building materials, renewable sources
of energy, recycling and safe disposal of waste and garbage, and
environmentally and culturally sensitive architectural design. Minimization of impact also requires that the
numbers and mode of behavior of tourists be regulated to ensure limited damage
to the eco-system. This concept also ensuring most of the hotel and other
people in the industry
iii) Builds
environmental awareness.
Ecotourism means education, for both tourists and residents of nearby
communities. Well before departure tour
operators should supply travelers with reading material about the country,
environment and local people, as well as a code of conduct for both the
traveler and the industry itself. This information helps prepare the tourist as
The Ecotourism Societies guidelines state “to learn about the places and
peoples visited" and "to minimize their negative impacts while
visiting sensitive environments and cultures". Essential to good ecotourism are
well-trained, multilingual naturalist guides with skills in natural and
cultural history, environmental interpretation, ethical principles and
effective communication. Ecotourism
projects should also help educate members of the surrounding community,
schoolchildren and the broader public in the host country. To do so they must offer greatly reduced
entrance and lodge fees for nationals and free educational trips for local
students and those living near the tourist attraction.
iv) Provides
direct financial benefits for conservation:
Ecotourism helps raise funds for
environmental protection, research and education through a variety of
mechanisms, including park entrance fees, tour company, hotel, airline and
airport taxes and voluntary contributions.
v) Provides
financial benefits and empowerment for local people:
National Parks and other conservation areas
will only survive if there are "happy people" around their
perimeters. The local community must be
involved with and receive income and other tangible benefits (potable water,
roads, health clinics, etc.) from the conservation area and its tourist
facilities. Campsites, lodges, guide
services, restaurants and other concessions should be run by or in partnership
with communities surrounding a park or other tourist destination. More importantly, if Ecotourism is to be
viewed as a tool for rural development, it must also help shift economic and
political control to the local community, village, cooperative, or
entrepreneur. This is the most difficult
and time-consuming principle in the economic equation and the one that foreign
operators and "partners" most often let fall through the cracks or
that they follow only partially or formally.
vi) Respects
local culture:
Ecotourism is not only "greener" but
also less culturally intrusive and exploitative than conventional tourism. Whereas prostitution, black markets and drugs
often are by-products of mass tourism, ecotourism stives to be culturally
respectful and have a minimal effect on both the natural environment and the
human population of a host country. This
is not easy, especially since ecotourism often involves travel to remote areas
where small and isolate communities have had little experience interacting with
foreigners. And like conventional
tourism, ecotourism involves an unequal relationship of power between the
visitor and the host and a co modification of the relationship through exchange
of money. Part of being a responsible
eco-tourist is learning beforehand about the local customs, respecting dress
codes and other social norms and not intruding on the community unless either
invited or as part of a well organized tour.
vii) Supports
human rights and democratic movements:
Although tourism often is glibly hailed as a
tool for building international understanding and world peace, this does not
happen automatically; frequently in fact tourism bolsters the economies of
repressive and undemocratic states. Mass
tourism pays little attention to the political system of the host country or
struggles within it, unless civil unrest spills over into attacks on
tourists.
Ecotourism demands a more holistic approach
to travel, one in which participants strive to respect, learns about and benefits
both the local environment and local communities. Although not part of The Ecotourism Societies
definition, giving economic benefits and showing cultural sensitivities to
local communities cannot be separated from understanding their political
circumstances.
In
many developing countries, rural populations living around national parks and
other ecotourism attractions are locked in contests with the national
government and multinational corporations for control of the assets and their benefits. Eco-tourist therefore need to be sensitive to
the host country's political environment and social climate and need to
consider the merits of international boycotts called for by those supporting
democratic reforms, majority rule, and human rights. For example the campaign by the African
National Congress (ANC) to isolate South Africa through a boycott of
investment, trade, sports and tourism helped bring down apartheid.
Determining whether to boycott or visit a country is not always
easy. Among the questions to ask are:
Does the economic growth fueled by tourism really improve the chances of human
rights being respected?
Will boycotting a country harm already
impoverished workers more than it will corporate or government titans? Or are the short term economic penalties more
than offset by the ultimate benefits of change?
If one
visits a repressive state like China, Indonesia, Peru or Syria, it is possible
to make the trip rewarding both personally and politically by consciously
learning about the country beforehand, meeting with dissidents and average
folks, as well as government officials while there, and speaking about the
political climate, not just the weather after returning home.
Now it is very clearly that anyone state that
they run "Eco-tours" and it is highly doubtful that any one project
or operator can claim to meet all these criteria. However it does give us a base of ideas to
work from when looking into whether or not something is or isn't "Eco-tourism".
Most operations which can truly be called Eco-tourism are determined to meet as
many of these criteria as possible
As this eco tourism is somewhat new and cost
concept in Sri Lanka only few hotel chains have adopted the concept. Make the
local communities parts of their project are quite complex due to lack of education
and political force behind them. Sometimes leaders in their community make the
wrong picture in their mind to the political advantage It seems sri lanka
tourist projects are not concerning the last fact or the principle have been
articulated in the definition but most of the principle have taken in to
consideration by private hotel chain in their hotel site have been located in
natural destination. This is a totally political principle Detail analysis has
done in under the hotel kandalama and hotel tea factory managed by aitken
Spence hotel company ltd
4) Tourism zone in Sri Lanka
There are 45 tourism zones have been
introduced by SLTDA in order to avoid development all over the country, this is
very good idea to avoid the unauthorized development in the country. The
developers should select a site within the tourism zones in order to minimize
negative impact on the environment. As tourist site have been introduced, the
bad impact to the human environment will be minimized but I am not quite
certain about the natural environment (most of the sites locate in remote and
island not people living)
i) Passikudha project
Prior to
1983 Passikudha was a popular resort among tourists both foreign and local. It
was located by the bay on a land 150 acres in extent. The resort at the time
was planned to accommodate 500 rooms in several stages and by 1983 there were
171 rooms in operation in three hotels and necessary infrastructure facilities
were in place. Water was supplied from Valachchanai Paper Mills’s sources which
are about 10 km from the resort. Operation of the resort came to a end after
the riots in 1983
SLTDA is now planning to revive this resort as there are no
restrictions to the movement of tourist traffic. With the dawn of peace in the
eastern region the private sector was anxious in taking part in development
activities. The prospective hoteliers have been allotted with land for
construction of hotels. SLTDA has already finalized the conceptual design plan
of the resort with the association of Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA)
and initial action have taken to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) for the whole resort
ii)Kalpitiya Dutch bay resort
Located in 150 km north of the capital,
Colombo, the Kalpitiya region is one of the most beautiful coastal areas
located in the north Western Province of Sri Lanka. Kalpitiya is a peninsular
that separates the Puttalam lagoon from the Indian Ocean and is a marine
sanctuary with a diversity of habitats ranging from bar reefs, flat coastal
plains, saltpans, mangroves swamps, salt marshes and vast sand dune beaches.
Proposed zone situated at Kalpitiya in the Puttalam District of North Western
Province, Sri Lanka. There are 14 Island in the proposed zone special
development in the zone are Domestic
Air Port - Uchchamunai ,Under Water Amusement Park - Kandakkuliya ,Golf Course
- Dutch Bay Race Course - Kalpitiya ,Cricket Playground - Kalpitiya
Proposed tourist attraction within the zone
·
Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary- 307 km2 of Sea having most valuable
rich Bio-Diversity Value
·
Sea Turtles /Fisheries /Ornamental
fish collection
·
Lobster capturing /Sea Cucumber
Collection
·
Dolphins/Whales /Mangroves /Flora
and Fauna
·
Historical Monuments /Birds and
Butterflies
·
Natural Botanical Gardens. /Beaches
·
Natural Forest /Estuaries and
Lagoons
·
Sea grass beds
Strategic Environmental Impact Assessments Study will be carried out at the inception of the project as a planning mechanism to avoid any restrictions on constructions at later stages and to obtain blanket approval for all the components of the overall development.
However, adequate delay had to be maintained as per the Regulations of the Coastal Conservation Department. The rules and regulations of the Urban Development Authority, Local Authority, Wild Life Development, Archaeological Department, Irrigation Department, Fisheries Department and Forest Department to be compiled with. Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Sri Lanka Cricket Board, Civil Aviation Department, Fisheries Harbor Cooperation, Ministry of Sport, Ceylon Government Railway criteria to be satisfied in all specialized constructions.
Under the new Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Development Project the ten islands that are uninhabited will be used for tourism development with master planning and PPP model. The Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Development Project targets 14 islands off the tip of the peninsula for a tourism resort development of 5,000 rooms developed by the SLTDA with funding from the Sri Lanka Government. It is also recognized as a priority project by the government
iii) Eastern region development-
Kuchchaveli
in the Trincomalee district, an area of approximately 500 acres
has been identified for tourism development purposes. The land borders the
beach and is situated in the village of Kuchchaveli, north of the popular Nilaveli
beach. A Conceptual Zoning Plan is currently being prepared for the area by the
SLTDA with the assistance of the Urban Development Authority (UDA). The resort
will be developed by the Government Agent (Trincomalee) and the SLTDA, and will
adhere with the SLTDA guidelines.Apart from the hotels, the resort will include other facilities to supplement the accommodation units and make it a self contained village. This resort will provide a wide range of land and water based sports including a theme park. The private sector has expressed keen interest and enthusiasm in developing Kuchchaveli. According to the applications received to date, 3000 to 5000 rooms would be in operation by 2011 – 2013.
It seems very massive project are going to be implemented. As a result of these projects hope to uplift social and economical aspects of the stakeholders and people of sri lanka but main fact to be concerned that adhere the necessary rules and regulation laid down by the international and local authorities to get best outcomes. If not the side effect or the environment impacts have to be bear on the cost of the people and the environment who are in the vicinity.(including birds, animal .flora and fauna and other things like monument etc…)
Every possible impacts can be arisen with the developing projects to be achieved to the vision of will be discussed under the environment impacts commonly not specially to these project
iv) Impacts of zoning and land use plans
Land prices
in the zones may rise due to zoning and possible investments (foreign and
local) in tourism activities. Therefore, people owning land within the zones
will benefit more from the rising land prices than people outside the zone.
This might lead to certain tensions among community members. The increasing
land prices may also lead land owners, particularly private land owners, to
evict any squatters who may have settled on their land illegally in order to
sell the land at a high market price. In this context, the evictees may
approach the Grievance Redress Committee, appeal to SLTDA directly, or seek
legal assistance.
v)Uninformed land transactions
Land use
plans and zoning can have an impact on people’s traditional livelihoods by
changing land use patterns within the tourism zones. Future activities may be
constrained due to land use plans. For instance, in the case of beach use,
existing fishing communities may be constrained in the use of beach area which
will be reserved for tourism activities. As a result of land use planning they
may have to restrict the mooring of their boats to a specified area instead of
mooring them anywhere on the beach as they used to. It is possible for
fishermen and tourists to co-exist on the same beaches if this is properly
managed. This would also enable the tourists to observe the life patterns of
fishermen
and their communities
vi)Sexual and other risks of tourism
At the same time, the local community will be
made aware of the sexual risks that are usually associated with tourism. Risks
of pedophilia and STDs such as HIV/AIDS in areas where tourism is currently a
flourishing industry are some examples. The case of ‘beach boys’ in the Western
and Southern coastal areas has been documented as providing services largely of
a sexual nature. Though individuals seem to be voluntarily engaging in these
activities, it is usually poverty and the environment around them that push
them towards these sexual trades.
) Environmental Impacts of Tourism industry
The quality of the
environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However,
tourism's relationship with the environment is complex - many activities can
have adverse environmental effects. Many of these impacts are linked with the
construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of
tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses
and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy
the environmental resources on which it depends.
Negative impacts from
tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment's
ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of change.
Uncontrolled conventional tourism creates potential threats to many natural
areas around the world. It can put enormous pressure on an area and lead to
impacts such as:
Soil
erosion, increased pollution, discharges into the sea, natural habitat loss,
increased pressure on endangered species and heightened vulnerability to forest
fires. It often puts a strain on water resources, and it can force local
populations to compete for the use of critical resources.
Tourism development
can put pressure on natural resources when it increases consumption in areas
where resources are already in short supply.
i) Water Resources shortage can be arise
The tourism industry
generally overuses water resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and
personal use of water by tourists. This can result in water shortages and
degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater volume of waste
water. In dry regions like the north east and Kalpitiya, the issue of water shortage
is much concern. Because of the hot climate and the tendency of tourists to
consume more water when on holiday than they do at home, the amount used can
run up to 440 litres a day. This is almost double what the inhabitants of an
average use.
Golf course
maintenance can also deplete fresh water resources. In recent years golf
tourism has increased in popularity and the number of golf courses has grown
rapidly. Golf courses require an enormous amount of water every day and this
can result in water shortage. If the water comes from wells, over-pumping can
cause saline intrusion into groundwater. Golf resorts are more and more often
situated in or near protected areas or areas where resources are limited,
exacerbating their impacts. An average
golf course in a tropical country such as Thailand needs 1500kg of chemical
fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides per year and uses as much water as
60,000 rural villagers.( Situation so
similar in our country as well there for water shortage already in issue
if such issue comes in future that will
be more cost for the people and animal
living near by most of the projects are located in very hot climate so
the water supply is already in shortage )
ii)Other local
resources
Tourism can create
great pressure on local resources like energy, food, and other raw materials
that may already in short supply.
Greater extraction and transport of these resources make worse the physical
impacts associated with their exploitation. for a example the propose site
in Kuchchaveli plans to 3000 to 5000
room so can you imaging how much raw material will be used and exploitation can
harm to the community. Further Because of the seasonal character of the
industry, many destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high season
than the low season. A high demand is placed upon these resources to meet the
high expectations tourists often have (food, proper heating, hot water, air
condition will be consumed more electricity that will cost more etc.).
iii)Land degradation
Important land
resources include fertile soil, forests, wetlands and wildlife. Increased
construction of tourism facilities has increased the pressure on these
resources and on scenic landscapes. Direct impact on natural resources in the
provision of tourist facilities can be caused by the use of land for
accommodation and other infrastructure provision, and the use of building materials.
Forests often suffer negative impacts of tourism in the form of deforestation
caused by fuel wood collection and land clearing. According to the experts, one
trekking tourist in Nepal can use four to five kilograms of wood a day(plan is more keen to go beyond the
sun, sea, and beach
so more entertainment means more pollution)
iv)pollution
Tourism can cause the
same forms of pollution as any other industry, Air emissions, Noise, Solid
waste and littering, Releases of sewage, Oil and chemicals, even
architectural/visual pollution Transport
by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising
number of tourists and their greater mobility. Tourism now accounts for more
than 60% of air travel.
One study estimated
that a single transatlantic return flight emits almost half the CO2 emissions
produced by all other sources (lighting, heating, car use, etc.) consumed by an
average person yearly. Air pollution from tourist transportation has impacts on
the global level, especially from CO2 emissions related to transportation
energy use. And it can contribute to severe local air pollution. Noise
pollution from airplanes, cars, buses, sea planes ( snowmobiles and jet skis)In
addition to causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for humans, it
causes distress to wildlife and can cause animals to alter their natural
activity patterns. that can lead to their disappear (plan is proposed to developed another international air port in
weeravila and few regional air ports in
province to land air taxi ,helicopters, small air crafts
v) Solid waste and
littering
In areas with high attention
of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a
serious problem and improper disposal can be a major issue of the natural
environment - rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides.
At the movement in
our country travel industry not very much used to cruise ships as a tourism
tool according to the reports published by experts have discovered that in the Caribbean island is estimated to
produce more than 70,000 tons of waste each year. Solid waste and littering can
degrade the physical appearance of the water and shoreline and cause the death
of marine animals. As most of our tourist projects are located in beaches and
so many water activities can be taken place the pollution and degradation have
to be expected.(the strategic Plan expecting
to implement small cruise ships and hope to call regional cruise ships to come
to our harbours like Colombo ,Trinco, Hambantota) In mountain areas,
trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on expedition leave
behind their garbage, even camping equipment. Such practices degrade the
environment with all the detritus typical of the developed world.
In remote areas that
have few garbage collection or disposal facilities. As reported The Wider Caribbean
Region, from Florida to French Guiana, receives 63,000 port calls from ships
each year, and they generate 82,000 tons of garbage. About 77% of all ship
waste comes from cruise vessels. On average, passengers on a cruise ship each
account for 3.5 kilograms of garbage daily - compared with the 0.8 kilograms
each generated by the less well-endowed folk on shore
vi)Sewage
Construction of
hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage
pollution. Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist
attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. Sewage runoff causes serious damage
to coral reefs because it stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the
filter-feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Sewage pollution
threatens the health of humans and animals, so our coral reefs are in danger if
we not consider the laid down procedure
vii)Aesthetic Pollution
Often tourism fails
to integrate its structures with the natural features and indigenous
architectural of the destination. Large, dominating resorts of disparate design
can look out of place in any natural environment and may clash with the
indigenous structural design. A lack of land-use planning and building
regulations in many destinations has facilitated sprawling developments along
coastlines, valleys and scenic routes. The sprawl includes tourism facilities
themselves and supporting infrastructure such as roads, employee housing,
parking, service areas, and waste disposal.
viii) Construction
activities and infrastructure development
The development of tourism facilities can involve sand mining, beach and sand dune erosion and loss of wildlife habitats. Deforestation and intensified or unsustainable use of land. Construction of ski resort accommodation and facilities frequently requires clearing forested land. Coastal wetlands are often drained due to lack of more suitable sites.
ix)Marina development
Development of
marinas and breakwaters can cause changes in currents and coastlines. Especially
fragile marine ecosystems - suffering worldwide from reef-based tourism
developments. Evidence suggests a variety of impacts to coral result from
shoreline development, increased sediments in the water, trampling by tourists,
ship groundings, pollution from sewage, souvenir extraction. (Same impact can be cause to our costal and
marine ecosystem. every development
projects are based on beaches and island located in the sea
x)Trampling
Tourists using the
same trail over and over again trample the vegetation and soil, eventually
causing damage that can lead to loss of biodiversity and other impacts. Such
damage can be even more extensive when visitors frequently stray off
established trails.(close observation by
government authorities like costal conservation
department ,CEA etc…. is very
necessary)
xi)Anchoring and other marine activities
In marine areas many
tourist activities occur in or around fragile ecosystems. Anchoring, scuba diving, yachting
and cruising are some of the activities that can cause direct degradation of
marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. Habitat can be degraded by tourism
leisure activities. For example, wildlife viewing can bring about stress for
the animals and alter their natural behaviour when tourists come too close
6)What we can do
As we discussed if the industry badly managed
to concerning economical gain we can have many negative impacts on the
environment. This will have negative impact on the tourism venture as tourism
product much depends on the environment. However, if tourism is managed in a
sustainable manner most of these impacts can be mitigated and in fact can even
have a positive influence on the environment.
On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance.
7) Sri Lanka Sustainable Tourism Development
Project (STDP)
Sri
Lanka Sustainable Tourism Development Project(STDP) is one of the best action
has been taken by the regulators to achieve the vision articulated in the
strategic plan 2009-2012 .Under the STDP the
Environment Assessment and Management Framework is significant
i) The Environment Assessment and Management Framework(EAMF)
Sri Lanka tourism plans to expand the tourism
development into areas where tourism is underdeveloped at present in a
sustainable manner. Sri Lanka Tourism
Development Authority (SLTDA) plans to implement a project to expand
sustainable tourism into underdeveloped regions of Sri Lanka with financial
support from the World Bank to implement some of the key components of the
project. The project will take a catalytic and cluster based approach. Some of
the key/ priority areas that are earmarked for development under the project
include Kalpitiya and Negombo in the western coast, Dedduwa in the southern
coast, Arugambay, Kalkudah, Pasikudah and Trincomalee in the eastern coast.
ii)Social Management Framework (SMF)
This Social Management Framework (SMF) is for
a sustainable tourism project under the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority
(SLTDA) of the Ministry of Tourism. It outlines the major impacts of the
project on local communities and points out possible mitigatory strategies for
the identified impacts. It addresses the impacts that would be felt by local
citizens in general, and local businessmen, potential external and internal
investors etc., in specific. The SMF forms an integral part of the Project
Implementation Manual of the Sustainable Tourism Project
The project aims to build upon the
recommendations of the World Summit on Sustainable Development to develop
community based initiatives on tourism to build the capacities to diversify
tourism products, while protecting culture and traditions and effectively
conserving and managing natural resources.
Furthermore,
certain negative impacts on traditional culture may also occur due to the
influx of tourists. Tourists being ignorant about Sri Lankan/ regional culture
and tourism being associated with drugs and certain sexually transmitted
diseases such as HIV/AIDS are among these negative impacts. Communication and
awareness programs are recommended as mitigatory strategies for these envisaged
negative impacts. Though land use issues and their mitigation have been
discussed in this report, such issues are not at all envisaged due to project
activities. All land used for project activities will be acquired through
market transactions or through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with land
owners. Communication and awareness campaigns, employing locals at cultural
sites (with training), obtaining consensus of all stakeholders in the selection
of cultural sites, and the development of these sites along internationally
accepted guidelines are recommended for the mitigation of any issues that may
develop due to the promotion of certain cultural sites over others.
It is clear how much efforts have been taken
by the government to obtain the necessary stand of living condition of the
people and sustainable development. As a policy GOSL has accepted the
sustainable development in Sri Lanka in the report Strategy for Sustainable Development prepared by
the ministry of environment and natural resources. In addition to that so much
of legislation, regulation and institute are in operation in this regard.
Thought I can’t assured that all the rules and law enforcement authorities will
carry out accurately I would like to mention some of those institution are in
operation to help to the vision
8) Environmental laws, regulations and
institutions in Sri Lanka
There are over 70 laws that directly or
indirectly relates to protecting and conserving the natural environment and
human health. While most of these laws address specific issues pertaining to environment
in the respective sector, it was the introduction and enactment of the National
Environmental Act (NEA) that provided the overarching legal basis for
regulation of pollution and protection of the environment from all sources in a
comprehensive manner. The following section outlines the broad legal and
institutional framework in Sri Lanka for environmental management, which will
be relevant to sustainable development in tourism as well
i)National Environmental (Amendment) Act No. 53 of 2000
As mentioned earlier, a law to incorporate
and cover all aspects of environment was made for the first time in 1980. This
is the National Environmental Act (NEA) No. 47 of 1980, the basic national
decree for protection and management of the environment. The NEA has seen
several amendments in the past in a bid to continually make improvements and to
respond to the challenging needs of the time. There are two main regulatory
provisions in the NEA implemented by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA)
through which impacts on the environment
from the process of development is assessed, mitigated and managed.
1. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure for major development projects. Regulations pertaining to this process have been published in 1993 and are available with the CEA.
2. The
Environmental Protection License (EPL) procedure for the control of pollution.
Regulations pertaining to this process have been published in 1990 and are
available with the CEA.
ii)Environmental Impact Assessment
Sri Lankan Government recognizes
Environmental Impact Assessment as an effective tool for the purpose of
integrating environmental considerations with development planning. The
application of this technique is considered as a means of ensuring that the
likely effects of new development projects on the environment are fully
understood and taken into account before development is allowed to proceed. The
importance of this management tool to foresee potential environmental impacts
and problems caused by proposed projects and its use as a means to make
projects more suitable to the environment are highly appreciated.
The legal provision for EIA in Sri Lanka was
first included in the Coast Conservation Act No. 57 of 1981. These provisions
were restricted to the Coastal Zone as defined by this Act. The broader legal
framework for the EIA process in Sri Lanka was laid down by the amendments made
to NEA in 1988 through National Environmental (Amendment) Act No. 56 of 1988.
The provision relating to EIA is contained in Part IV C of the National
Environmental Act. The procedure stipulated in the Act for the approval of
projects provides for the submission of two types of reports Initial
Environmental Examination (IEE) report and Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) report. Such reports are required in respect of “prescribed projects”
included in a Schedule in an Order published by the Minister of Environment in
terms of section 23 Z of the act in the Gazette Extra Ordinary No. 772/22 dated
24th June 1993. This amendment makes EIA mandatory for whole of Sri Lanka and
transformed Central Environment Authority (CEA) into enforcement and
implementing agency.
Further, any developmental activity of any
description whatsoever proposed to be established within one mile of the boundary
of any National Reserve, should receive the prior written approval of the
Director of Wildlife Conservation. The Fauna and Flora (Protection) Ordinance
iii)Environmental Protection License
The Environmental Protection License (EPL) is
a regulatory/legal tool under the provisions of the National Environmental Act.
The EPL procedure has been introduced to prevent or minimize the release of
discharges and emissions into the environment from industrial activities in
compliance with national discharge and emission standards, to provide guidance
on pollution control for polluting processes and to encourage the use of
pollution abatement technology such as cleaner production, waste minimization
etc. Here the industries are classified into three lists named A, B and C. List
A comprise of 80 potentially high polluting industries, List B comprise of 33
medium polluting industries and List C comprise of 25 low polluting industrial
activities. Some of the potential subprojects that are likely to be funded by
the STD project will come under List B or List C.
iv) Strategic Environment Assessments
Although project level EIA is an effective
tool in addressing environmental impacts at project level, it often fails to
take into account cumulative impacts of several projects. Under such
circumstance Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) is a more effective tool in
identifying cumulative impacts on the environment of a specific policy or
programme of works. At present SEA is still not a mandatory requirement in Sri
Lanka. However, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved implementation of SEA for
policies, programs and plans in Sri Lanka. Therefore, all Ministries,
Departments and Authorities who are responsible for implementing a new policy,
plan or programme should carry out a SEA for the new policy, plan or programme
prior to its implementation and submit a copy of the SEA report to the Central
Environmental Authority for review and comments
v)Coast Conservation Act (CCA) No.57 of 1981
The projects located wholly or partly within
the coastal zone (the area lying within a limit of three hundred meters
landwards of the Mean High Water line and a limit of two kilometers seawards of
the Mean Low Water line) must undergo the approval process that is laid down in
the Coast Conservation Act irrespective of its size. Only those projects
located totally outside the Coastal Zone will be subject to the approval
process laid down in the National Environmental Act. Therefore, any development
work taking place within this zone falls under the jurisdiction of CCD.
According to the CCA, Director of the CCD has
the discretion to request for an EIA/IEE from the project proponent if the
initial screening reveals significant impacts in the coastal areas by the
project. The process is very much similar to the NEA excepting that the
Director of the CCD reserves the right to request for an EIA/IEE and also to
make a final decision.
vi) F recycling and reusing fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) Amended Act No. 49 of 1993
EIA provisions are also included in the Fauna
and Flora (Amended) Act No. 49 of 1993. According to this Act, any development
activity of any description what so ever proposed to be established within one
mile from the boundary of any National Reserve, is required to be subjected to
EIA/IEE, and written approval should be obtained from the Director General,
Department of Wildlife Conservation prior to implementation of such projects.
The EIA/IEE process under the FFPO is similar to that described in the NEA.
vii) Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR)
Established in 1990, is responsible for
providing ‘leadership to manage the environment and natural resources in order
to ensure national commitment for sustainable development for the benefit of
the present and future generations’. The ministry formulated the National
viii)Central Environmental Authority (CEA)
The Central Environment Authority established
under the National Environment Act is primarily responsible for enforcing the
National Environment Act as well as formulating and implementing other
environmental policies. In order to achieve this objective the CEA is empowered
adequately through the provisions of the NEA. The CEA operates provincial,
regional and sub-regional offices that handle most of the compliance and
enforcement functions.
ix) Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC), Coast Conservation Department and Forest Department
These three agencies respectively, as the
titles imply, are responsible for managing designated wildlife areas, coastal
zone and all forest areas of the country. Any activity within the wildlife
areas will require prior consent of the DWLC. The DWLC will generally not allow
any land-use changes or extractive uses within protected wildlife areas and
similarly, the Forest Department has its restrictions on usage of forest land
depending on the category of protection. All building activities within the
coastal zone will need to apply for a permit from the CCD and will also need to
adhere to the set-back zones determined by the Department for each coastal
stretch. All three departments operate through a decentralized administrative
structure. However, developers need to contact the head offices located in
Colombo for all important decisions.
9) How Hotel kandalama has adopted eco principle as a leading hotel in this task as a model of eco tourism
i)Minimal impact to environment
Hotel kandalama how practically operating in relation to the vision of the strategic plan and principle of eco tourism. Kandalama has gone to great lengths to safeguard the delicate eco system and environment in which it rests. The hotel is built in the configuration of the outspread wings of a bird and located between two rocks. The hotel is a staggering 1km from end to end, and rises up to 7 floors, and yet appears to be a perfectly natural extension of the mountainside, least visible as it is covered by native plants, home to many species. The entire hotel is built upon a raised platform resting on columns, allowing rain and spring water to flow freely from the mountainside into the Kandalama Lake. This design also facilitates the free movement of animals underneath the hotel, creating a minimum impact on the eco system.
At the point of building the hotel, the
natural landscape was used as the main ingredient. It is the most distinguished
feature of the hotel. Native plants and the grounds were undisturbed as much as
possible. No fauna and flora have been introduced. No impact on the Kandalama Lake
whatsoever. The eco design has accommodated maximum natural light enabling more
energy conservation.
ii) Waste reduction, recycling and reusing
The hotel employing highly creative dry & wet waste disposal methods. 100% waste is recycled and turned to a resource. No waste is dumped. Home grown concept of a 7R recycling & conservation System is in operation and this creates zero waste.
Further waste water recycling plant is the most sophisticated system of its kind in use by a hotel anywhere in Sri Lanka.. An elaborate purification process ensures that the water coming out of the system is clean enough to use in gardening. The dried sludge, treated to ensure it is safe, is used to make organic fertilizer used in hotel compost pits to make 100% natural fertilizer by combining with garden waste and other natural materials. The hotel purification processes are regularly checked by scientists from the University of Peradeniya, to ensure compliance with the highest possible standards
iii) Provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people:
This is one of the main criteria set
out by Martha Honey's definition in
her book let’s see how the hotel Kandalama has concerned this principle. Hotel
Kandala helping nearby villagers different ways helping schools in the area to develop
the resources capacity ,helping with
small craft makers to sell their product with high price and staff members are
recruiting from villagers letting them to increased their monthly income apart
from this the infrastructure facilities have developed such as electricity, roads,safe
drinking water
According to the reports published by
hotel 220 employment opportunities have given to the villagers’ .In the Dambulla
District is home to an indigenous art called “Sokari”. However, due to
modernization and changes in lifestyles among the villages, Sokari was
non-existent. In a bid to restore this dying art, the hotel Kandalama has started
an initiative to popularize it and invited the few “inland” Sokari artists
remaining to perform at the resort. This step popularized the local dance form
has generated interest from the younger generations.
iv) Builds environmental awareness
According to Martha awareness is
a key fact. To achieve the purpose of enhancing awareness and
obtaining total community commitment hotel kandalama have formed a network of
39 school (in Dambulla Educational Division). they have conducted seminars for
teachers and students and initiated a number of small environmental
projects with school children such as tree planting, bird watching and
reporting instances of injuries to wildlife (injured animals are treated by the
hotel and released to the wild) , preventing soil erosion and also street clean
ups. One of the special areas of awareness was on turning waste in to
resources. A large number of Schools were gifted with class rooms, books,
desks, chairs and other equipments.
The hotel kandalama have large number visitors consisting of students
from schools and universities, researchers, environmental NGOs, community based
organizations, policy makers, journalists and general public including the
villages and all other interested parties visiting the Eco Park on environment
and conservation education programmers.
Eco Park demonstrates best practices in
conservation educate general public and guests free of charge. It includes,
waste separation centre, a sewage treatment plant, plant nursery, herbal
garden, eco museum & library and recycled waste paper making with elephant
dung managed by the company. A total of over 1.75 million visitors have visited
them over the years.
10) Conclusion
As a conclusion
the government of Sri Lanka is trying to achieve development economically to
uplift the living condition of their citizen
on the other hand natural environment is damaging when the development
programs are implementing. As a responsible government development cannot be
ignored so the answer is sustainable development or the develop the industry
sustainable manner. To regulate and observe the important aspect of sustainable
development many steps have taken including legislative enactment/regulation,
creating institution (I have mention few of those above in the article )
We can’t expect that all the rule and
regulation will be enforce by relevant institution due to various reasons like political influence, negligence of the
relevant officers, lack of scientific research, lack of technology etc…
Sometimes social need for development is much
needed than paying consideration to the eco impact due to lack of development
have taken place in those areas (where the projects are proposed).Investors
will not wait until we do all the impact assessment are due to complete they
will go some other country ( without capital we can’t achieve this vision)
unwanted delay arisen due to legal action instituted by environment activist.
There for so many obstacle are there in road to clear on the way to make our
country
“Asian tourism icon and make it the largest
foreign exchange earner benefiting the stakeholders of the tourism and the
people of Sri Lanka.”
Bibliography
1) Sri lanka
sustainable tourism development project/environment assessment and management
framework draft final report June 15th 2009
National
strategy for Sri Lankan tourism 2009-2012
2) Promoting
sustainable tourism in sri lanka-tsung-wei lai(Mathews n 2000 country report)
Saleem n country report 1996 strategy for
sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka
3) Environment
impact on tourism (downloaded from internet)
4) Sri lanka
sustainable tourism development project/social management frame work
5) I referred
most of the recourses which are available
in the internet and what I did was organized the fact according to the
tropic and my research on the subject
