Management of coastal vegetation for the conservation of the western and southern coasts of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The coastline of Sri Lanka extends over appro~imately 1500 km. Beaches are found along most of the coastline and these are of great aesthetic value, providing a pleasant environment for the benefit of the people. In the west, southwest and south, the beaches are fairly narrow and they experience periodical erosion and accretion depending on prevailing climatic and hydrological conditions. Elsewhere the beaches are wider, favoured by sand deposition during certain periods of the year which outweighs erosion losses at other times. 1n the southwest and northeast of the Island, a series of rocky headlands, bays, lagoons and lakes, constitute the main geomorphological features. Between the head~ands are bays which generally have stable shores. The southwest coast has undergone much erosion over the last few centuries and the intensity has increased many fold during the last two to three decades. The rocky islets seen in places just off shore, are reminders of a coastline ~hich existed in the not too distant past. On tte eastcoast, sand deposits have helped to form many lagoons, lakes and swamps and these are evidence of a growing coastline (Cooray, 1967). Sand dunes are not generally associated wit~ tropical climates (Ranwell, 1972). However, well dev?loped dunes are a conspicuous feature over about 22% of the coast (Swan, 1979). These are found in the northwest, northeast and southeast. At certain places on the southwest coast and elsewhere, less well developed dune formations called berms are found (Appendix I). These berms perform a very useful function in protecting low - lying areas in10nd.Some of ,these land forms are found at Akurala in the southw~st, at Koggala in the south and along the westcoast from Hendala to Negombo