An assessment of Bellanwila-Attidiya marshland

Abstract

Wetlands have received increasing attention worldwide over the past twenty years. An internationaltreaty convention (Convention of Wetlands of international importance for waterfowl, Ramsar1971)to which Sri Lanka is a party, seeksto protect wetlands to feed people, protect them from floods and pollution, and sustain wildlife. TheBellanwila-Attidiyamarshland was declared as a sanctuary by the Department of Wildlife Conservationon July 25th, 1990, on account of its importance as one of the few remaining freshwater wetlands in the western coastal plains of the CO1pltry. This marshland supports a wide array of wildlife whileregulatingstonn water and controlling floods in this densely inhabited and built-up suburb. It also supports several important socio-economic activities.. Although the present legal status as a sanctuary provides habitat protection, it is not properly enforceddue to severalconstraints. The marshland is owned both by private land owners and state. The managementof the marshland is imperative at this point as it is fast deteriorating and shrinking in extent. The current study was carried out with the intention of assessing existing ecological conditions to gather baseline data for the development of a management plan. The main areas covered in the study are land use changes and developments and marshland vegetation. The benefits and values of the marshland and human interferences were also documented based on author's observations. The current study shows that the marshland is under heavy pressure as land for urban development. A considerable portion of the marshland has already been reclaimed for urban development and the encroachments within the marshlandare on the rise. The wildlife populations are greatly threatened by industrial effiuents, domestic wastes, and human sewage. Recommendations were made based on the findings of this study for improved resource management of the marshland.