2018 Jul 24
Coastal erosion is mainly caused by the wearing away of the coast by wave action, tidal currents, wave current drainage or high winds near coastal areas of a country. Coastal erosion patterns and rates of erosion in Sri Lanka have drastically changed, due to various reasons other than the natural ones, such as due to poorly implemented human interference with coasts and the ocean.
Erosion occurs when there is soil detachment, movement, and deposition that pollutes the water nearby, leading to an unstable base that can lead to permanent land loss. Coastal erosion caused by humans can be broken down into a few main points, such as improperly cited buildings, groynes, breakwaters, ports, inlet jetties, and constructions with drainage and sewage outfall. All of these reasons lead to either short-term or long-term coastal erosion.
Facts you need to know
- Every year, coastal erosion occurs around the island during monsoon seasons due to natural phenomenon.
- Most flora and fauna in the environment enhance accretion of land and stabilize dunes and tidal flats.
- Corals and coral reefs act as important natural barriers around the island by keeping high energy waves that causes erosion away from adjacent coastline. Coral mining, for extraction of lime for industrial purposes has also increased in the last few years in Sri Lanka, which has lead to diminishing of coral habitats around the island.
Image courtesy of fao.org - Mangrove swamps, another important natural resource for containing coastal erosion, are restricted to estuaries and sheltered coastal mudflats in the island. Up to 50% of mangrove habitats are reported to have decreased since 1990.
- Sand mining in the rivers has increased due to increasing construction around the island, resulting in loss of nourishment of sand by flow of river water to the sea.
- Misuse of natural resources such as land and water near coastal zones has increased due to growth of economy and population, resulting in coastal deterioration.
Then and Now
The Coastal Zone Management Plan was established in the year 1981 under the Coastal Conservation Act No.57 to improve, develop, promote, issue management, and mitigation in coastal area of Sri Lanka.
The first coastline erosion scandal was reported in 2011, when the world renowned Unawatuna beachbegan eroding faster than ever within a very short period of time, later causing the Sri Lankan government to stabilize the surrounding coastal area by pumping sand from the deep sea.
Marawila, Barudelpola, and Ambakandawila were reported to have faced serious coastal erosion during the off season in 2015. Similarly, Oluvil and Ninthavur areas were reported to have considerable coastal erosion damages in 2016.
Non-seasonal erosion in Pasikudah, with a land loss of 10-15 meters was reported during the monsoon last year. Furthermore, Bassiyawaththa was reported to have considerable damages in the coastal area due to erosion last year.
Dutch Bay Coral Island has also faced serious deterioration due to an increasing number of human activity near the area. Although most coastal erosions have been reported during off-season, many were also reported during season time in Sri Lanka for reasons that aren’t naturally transpired.
Are we the reason?
From 2012 to 2016, coastal erosion around the island has fluctuated with ebbs and flows, prompted by sudden weather pattern changes and increasing number of human activities associated with coastal areas and natural resources. Suffusing erosion patterns during seasonal and non-seasonal times of the year caused by humans clearly indicates that it’s now time to put an end to all detrimental activities that cause harm to nature.
The unspoken truth behind coastal erosion caused by large construction companies, mining companies, and tourist activity chains should be altered and taken into serious consideration before the severity of this situation flushes out most of this island in the coming 25 years. The future of the coastlines of Sri Lanka depends both on climate patterns as well as how it is treated by its users, and they both go hand in hand.
It’s vital to take measures to conserve what’s left of the island whilst simultaneously promoting both the preservation and management of coastlines. Let’s make sustainable use of the coastal resources and prioritize the effective management and conservation of coastlines and coastal resources of Sri Lanka.
