n Ekanayake Abeyrathne -EMACE (www.bolgodalakesrilanka.com)

Culture, Landscape and Biodiversity

Bolgoda Lake - Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka – a brief outlook on history and culture

Located –

longitudes E 79° 55'-79° 58' and latitudes N

6° 40-6° 48'.

Surface area -374 km2

Infrastructure around Bolgoda Lake

GREEN FILTER

an environmental friendly solution for waste water management

Plants Breeding Centre

n Plants breeding centre (I)- Athurugiriya

q Plants breeding centre (II)- Bandaragama

Mangrove Nurseries

Green filter in Bolgoda

Environmental Education Center area before……

Environmental Education Center

Sustainable Agriculture

Education – Motivation –Facilitation

v 77 farm plots were established v 17 workshops givenv 100 farmers reached v 54 farmers now adopt some of the

measures, 23 full convertersv Distributed agro tools, different kind of seeds

and EM liquids to farmers

Workshop conceptn Extension

n general organic n compost fertilizer

n Practical model farmn Motivation to convert

Promotion of sustainable fishing techniques

Mangrove Reforestation

Section (I) – Mahabellana Yaya

6,000 plants were grown on 5 ha

Section (II) – Imbullisthota Yaya

7800 plants were grown on 6.5 ha

n 210 Volunteers & workers involvedn Conservation of habitatn outlook:

n Education concentrating on the Sustainable use mangroves

n Capacity reactivation of large scale nursery

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION & Campaigns

q Exhibitionsq Production of various print mediaq Brochures in local languagesqWebsite

Schools programs

Formed 26 school environmental conservation committees around the Bolgoda lake

Activities completed:-n Promotion of school gardensn Mangrove re-planting programmesn Solar cooker workshopsn Eco guide toursn Clean up campaignsn Competitions – Arts, Essay, Oratory … etc.

n Mangrove exhibitions

26 schools of 30 covered

Oratory CompetitionsClean up campaigns

WorkshopsEvents on mobile exhibition unit

Re-Establishment of livelihoods (I)

Clean-up Campaigns

Distributing agriculture tools, seeds and EM liquid for farmers.

Environmental Education

Targeting different groups ofpeople

School children,fishermen, Farmers & household women

Conducting programmes usingVarious methods

Information leafletsWorkshopsExhibitionsCampaignsMobile Exhibition UnitVideo Documentary Competitions (Art, Essay, Speech … etc)

Initiation of Bolgoda Lake Conservation Committee

Approachq Initiation and facilitation of communication between different

stakeholders

q Tackling multi-layered environmental problems by involving all stakeholders

Sign board campaigns

Working with communities

Re-planting programmes

SustainableAgriculture

Change is a slow process

Continuous Motivation - Facilitation

n Provision of tools for interested farmersn premium price for organic products

n Model farm n face problems of public knowledge

n distinction organic / conventionalagriculture,

n healthn Marketing

Future EMACE Bolgoda interventions

n POLLUTION

n EDUCATION

n POLITICS

n ENCROACHMENT ON NATURE

§Further promotion/ facilitation of organic agriculture§Targeting consumers, markets

§Continuous Clean Up Campaign§Sewage treatment- Green Filter§Saw dust treament & reuse§Recycling project

§Nature Recreation Park/Center with range of programmes/ facilites§Bolgoda Environmental Educational Center§Promotion/ Marketing of organic products

§Further facilitation BLCC and CBO’s

§Eco-tourism programme§wetland nature and recreational park with Eco Lodges§Promotion of environmentally friendly tourism via e-marketing

§Status Bolgoda Area à sensitive area

Our Future ………

n Promote responsible tourism in Sothern Lakes

n Model certified Ecolodgesn Promotion of Green filtern Livelihood

You are partof the

solution

THANK YOU

www.bolgodalakesrilanka.com

BOLGODA LAKE PROJECT

Bolgoda Lake facts

§§Part of the Colombo and Kalutara Part of the Colombo and Kalutara districtsdistricts§Surface area 374 km2 §Low country wet zone§Mean temperature 27.1 °C§Annual rainfall ~ 2600mm§Comprises of 2 lakes§Two openings to the sea§Main feeding channels

§ Monsoonal rains§ Rivers

Ø Weras GangaØ Bolgoda GangaØ Kepum Ela

n Dutch Period

n Transport of goods, especially timbern Development as woodcraft center n Islands as rest places for log craftsmen.

n British Period

n Hunting ground and recreation area

Bolgoda Lake History

Environmental problem fields

n POLLUTION§ Saw dust § Agricultural residues§ Over growing water hyzinth§ Service stations§ Industrial/ household Grey water§ Industrial solid waste§ Garbage disposal§ Conventional tourism

n POLITICS§ unclear responsibilities§ law enforcement

n EDUCATION§ environmental awareness

n Encroachment on nature

§ Land filling§ Destruction of mangroves§ Unauthorized constructions§ Abandoned shrimp traps

Dumping Saw dust

Land Filling

Discharging waste to the Lake

Unauthorized constructions

Garbage dumping

Issues in the South Lake area

Pollution agricultural residues through Conventional agriculture

q 1600 acres of wetland cultivated q edible leafy plants to consumers in

Colombo and surroundingsq total dependence on chemical

fertilizers, pesticides and agrochemicals

q Garbage dumpingq Encroachment on nature

Activities completed in the area:n Clean up of selected areas of Bolgoda South

Lake

n Successfully dredged two areas of the lake with cooperation of a private dredging company. And approximately 3800 Metric-tons of slush has been removed. Total area dredged is 5000 sq meters.

n Promotion of organic farming to reduces the chemical usage

Conventional Tourism

q 32 hotels and guesthouses exist around north Bolgoda Lake.

q Water based recreational activities are;yachting, boating, wind surfing, canoeing,

swimming and fresh water fishing.

q Most of the buildings are unauthorized structures

Fishing

n Traditional fishing ground for centuries.

n Traditional fishing techniques such as "Ja-Kotuwa“

Problems encountered,n Over 300-600 families lost their livelihood due to pollution.n Lack of knowledge of the fisherman.n Ignorance

EMACE’s intervention

üReforestation, conservationüPromotion & facilitation organic agricultureüLivelihood developmentüEnvironmental Education centreüGreen Filter üProgrammes for school children, women, fishermen,

farmersüClean up campaignüMobilization/Facilitation stakeholders à BLCCüNetworking/ CBOsüAwernesses, Education and sign board campaignResearchExperimental Composting Facility

n Promoted 08 Mangrove nurseries in Alubomulla area.

n Introduced Mangroves for re-planting areas.

n Distributed among school chidrens & intrested stakeholders.

n Maintaining nurseries by community involvements

Model Farms

n Model farm (I)-Bandaragama

n Compostingn Irrigation systemn Problem; availability of water

n Model farm (II)- Horanan Totally destroyed by flood.

n search for other site

Composting Unit

Solution for organic waste

ü water hyzinthü saw dustü more organic material

Part of model farm

Introducing organic farming

promotion with farmers through workshops

*production/ use of compost* marketing of compost

Green Filtern Collaboration with Open University Sri

Lankan Sample testing filter unit at university

premises n Successfully completed a unit at

EEC/Indibeddan Promotion – “Green filter unit for Bolgoda

hotels/motels”: constuction at Ranmal hoteln Established volunteer team who has

knowledge about the green filter process

Environmental Education Contents

11 Workshops held for women;use of solar/saw dust cooker

05 workshops held for mask makerssustainable use of mangrovesMarketing

17 Training/ workshops for Farmers;organic farming methods

Fishermen; sustainable fishing

Hoteliers; waste management

Environmental Education Centre

Constuction works are on going & all other primary worksCompleted.

Focused programmesn Education & creating interest in wetlands/ nature

n publications, brochures, presentations, exhibitions, place for workshops

n Mangrove nursery

n Tourismn Facilitation for visitors to explore the lake and its

surroundingsn Guided tours

n Awareness raising programmes

n Facilitating and conducting research

n Basis for the EEC volunteer staff in the future

Environmental Education: Means of Communication

q Exhibitionsq Production of various print

mediaqBrochures in local languagesqWebsiteqMobile Exhibition Unit

§ Stakeholders in the committee§ Governmental and municipal representatives§ Community based local ENGOs§ Tourism§ Industry

§ History§ First meeting September 2006 with 30 participants§ Assembled averagely 30 people in every of 6 meetings

§ Differing stakeholders at one table§ Confrontation§ à discussion

§ Now operating more independently from EMACE

§ Institutionalization of the committee§ More power, means, effectiveness § Sustainability and effectiveness of environmental initiatives

Bolgoda Lake Conservation Committee

Ongoing activities

n Finalization of action plann Several solutions and projects

for the Saw Dust issue n Stakeholder meetingsn Collaboration with different

organizations

n Institutionalization of BLCCn Creation website

Outlookn Get approval and funding Action Plan from government/

Environmental Ministryn Gazettes for Bolgoda area

nBolgoda environmentally sensitive arean saw dust

n Establishment of communal stakeholder steering groupsn Implement action plann Collaboration with different government sectorsn Monthly environmental newspaper for the Bolgoda

region together with schools and other organizations