MDK Lakmali Gunathilaka | University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (original) (raw)
Papers by MDK Lakmali Gunathilaka
CRC Press eBooks, May 23, 2024
Geography and Sustainability
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education, Aug 18, 2022
Human behavior has a multi-dimensional view of resource utilization; thus, vital to examine the b... more Human behavior has a multi-dimensional view of resource utilization; thus, vital to examine the behavior of groups in environmental resource utilization. The group was fishing communities in Kalpitiya Fisheries Inspector Division (KFID). Data was collected through various methods subjected to thematic content-based analysis and statistical analysis. The primary source of income is a fishery where marine fishery and brackish water fishery, along with aquaculture, were the sub-categories. Sixteen percent were engaged in both marine and brackish water fishery. A total of 18116 individuals were marginalized in the area. Un-sustainable resource utilization has decreased the area's existing resources, particularly for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Their behavior has created specific environmental problems in Wannimundalama and Manadalakuda. Though education level was not satisfactory (96%), the statistical analysis showed dis-concordant status; neither education nor the source of income affects their poor behavior in resource utilization. Comparing two fishing harbors illustrated that the cultural aspect also affects the behavior. The perception of environmental protection is also poor, IDPs. Gender vice behavior reflected that females are more willing to protect and restore the environment than males. Findings illustrated that the dimensions and categories of the system directly do not decide the behavior of groups in environment resource utilization. Environmental communication is essential and positively impacts human behavior in environmental resource utilization. The study recommends investigating the factors constraining sustainable resource utilization behavior in KFID, emphasizing the necessity of environmental communication.
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education
Water is indispensable for sustaining life, food production, economic growth, and well-being. How... more Water is indispensable for sustaining life, food production, economic growth, and well-being. However, the growing population and industrialization have intensified the demand for freshwater, posing significant challenges to water resources in Sri Lanka. This review paper focuses on understanding the types and causes of water pollution, with a particular emphasis on surface water pollution, as well as exploring preventive measures in the context of Sri Lanka. Given its severe consequences and the global issue of water scarcity, water pollution has gained attention from researchers, scientists, and organizations. Surface water bodies, such as lakes and rivers, face pollution primarily due to inadequate management of sewage and industrial effluents. Insufficient sanitation facilities in low-income settlements further exacerbate the problem, affecting the country. Despite existing regulations, the lack of monitoring allows improper waste disposal practices to persist. Rural areas exper...
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 2019
Bryophytes are the first dwellers of land plant history. The global context of bryophytes species... more Bryophytes are the first dwellers of land plant history. The global context of bryophytes species is comparatively obtained much greater concern with the emergence of the concept of conservation biology. Literature from 1860 to 2017 was used along with eresources for the review. Literary evidence revealed a rate of destruction or degradation of bryophytes has increased. The unawareness of people regarding the value of bryoflora has increased the rate of destruction. Considering both the ecological and economic value of bryophytes this review emphasized the necessity of conservation measures to protect bryophyte species.
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education
The increasing applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) for m... more The increasing applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) for mapping, predicting, and monitoring are practical for sustainable mangrove ecosystem management. This study evaluated various geospatial techniques for detecting healthy mangroves on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, including single spectral indices, supervised/unsupervised classification, and developed methods using Landsat data. The use of medium-resolution satellite data and the uniqueness of the mangrove ecosystem are generally involved in discriminating healthy mangroves from non-mangrove areas. This study focused on detecting degraded narrow patches of mangroves on the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka using Landsat 8 remote sensing data and five vegetation indices. The accuracy of the results was assessed using randomly generated points. The study used ArcGIS Desktop software for processing, analyzing, and integrating spatial data to meet the research objectives. The mangroves were detecte...
Environmental Science & Technology
Climatic and Environmental Significance of Wetlands
Freshwater wetlands are more threatened than any other ecosystem in the world. The current trend ... more Freshwater wetlands are more threatened than any other ecosystem in the world. The current trend of freshwater wetland crisis arises a question ‘whether it is conversion or conservation of wetlands' which is absolutely a dilemma. Therefore, this study aims critical evaluation at wetland governance and sustainability of urban wetlands in Colombo. The results reveal that the Colombo wetlands have lost their territory from a moderate to a severe degree. The wetland loss is higher in Kaduwela, Kolonnawa, and Kesbewa areas. Recently the causes of Colombo wetland loss has moved with a new frame. Land grabbing and green grabbing are the cycles that transforming the geostrategically important urban wetlands into hybrid ecosystems. Due to this, the frequency of flash flood events and inundation time has increased than ever. It is important to ensure urban freshwater wetland sustainability and surveillance following sustainable development goals and it is time to have freshwater ethics.
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education
A significant tool for determining how accurate a categorization product is the accuracy assessme... more A significant tool for determining how accurate a categorization product is the accuracy assessment. Remote Sensing is one of the essential tools for compiling land use and land cover maps through image classification. The availability of high-quality Landsat imagery and secondary data, an accurate classification technique, and the user's knowledge and competence with the procedures essential to the image classification process. Assess the satellite image classification suitability for further mapping and analysis through accuracy assessments. This paper examined land use and land cover classification using unsupervised classification and extracted NDBI and NDVI further to support main land use and land cover types in the area. The accuracy of classifications was assessed using an error matrix and Kappa statistics. Land use and land cover, NDBI, and NDVI classification accuracies are almost perfect, further verified by the Kappa statistics tool. An excellent unsupervised classif...
Examining International Land Use Policies, Changes, and Conflicts
Human activities have recognized in recent years as the most significant force shaping the biosph... more Human activities have recognized in recent years as the most significant force shaping the biosphere. This is completely true concerning rapid changes in the land surface. Concerning land resources, it is important to understand how this change happens. Thus, this chapter aims to review how this change has occurred throughout the history of Sri Lanka. A piecemeal approach in the unsustainable manner of land resource utilization towards severe land changes illustrates and compares the land use and land cover changes in significant phases in the history of Sri Lanka. This was further revitalized as well as influenced by the land-use policies introduced throughout history. The absence of a clearly defined land-use policy in the country after independence is problematic when addressing land-related issues. Consequently, chronological changes in land use and land cover existed within the country has now doubled and more intensified than ever.
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP)
Much has been written both in global and local level on rice cultivation, rice production and ass... more Much has been written both in global and local level on rice cultivation, rice production and associated problems, the impact of land-use changes, biodiversity in rice fields. Yet, an area that has received little attention in the Sri Lankan context, is the avifaunal species utilizing rice fields. As a consequence of rapid urbanization, the extent of rice fields is decreasing year by year. The study followed various methods to collect primary data and used secondary data in support of findings, to achieve the objectives of the study. Figures of avifauna, figures of land use and land cover changes, figures of population growth changes were used for the study. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Equitability index used to analyse the data by objective. Mapping techniques in Arc GIS used along with descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. A total of 13320 avian species have enumerated for a period of six months in 2019 while the number of species has significantly reduced by 4994, compared to the avian data reported for the year 2009. Loss of rice field extent and overall land cover changes highly significant where the population growth and urbanization have increased. Among the species identified waterbirds and waders were dominant. Ardea alba, Ardea cinerea, Ardea intermedia, Ardeola grayii and Bubulcus ibis were dominant waterbirds utilized rice fields in the study area. A weighty decrease of bird species counts reported to the projected population data for the year 2022. Therefore, the future vulnerability of avifaunal species utilizing rice fields has to be concerned with this rapid land use and land cover changes.
Monitoring spatial changes of surface heat island formation and temperature changes in sub-urban ... more Monitoring spatial changes of surface heat island formation and temperature changes in sub-urban areas is vital in the freshwater lake management of urban areas as frequent phenomena related to climate change have undergone. The purpose of this study was to examine the Spatio-temporal pattern of urban heat island and land surface temperature and vegetation changes by using GI statistics, where hotspot analysis was also performed. The study further examined the effect of heat island and surface temperature on urban freshwater lakes where hot and cold spots identified had undergone a reclassification process. The results revealed that the increasing Land Surface Temperature (LST) due to modification and transformation of vegetated areas into concrete and synthetic built-up extents is one of the challenging problems in the selected suburbs. Both NDVI and LST hot spots and cold spots have changed compared to 2010. The LST showed considerable expansion of the hotspots within ten years ra...
Kanneliya Dediyagala Nakiyadeniya (KDN) forest complex is an international biosphere reserve belo... more Kanneliya Dediyagala Nakiyadeniya (KDN) forest complex is an international biosphere reserve belongs to the lower wet bio-climatic zone. The area is significant for exceptional plant endemicity. Due to the selective logging, exotic species like Alstonia macrophylla and Swetinia macrophylla have become pioneers of the forest area. This study is a literature-based review on the plant species in KDN forest complex with the objective to assess the floristic richness of KDN forest complex. Available studies from 1985 up to 2017 reported various information on the floral composition, diversity and abundance, ecological sensitivity and conservation providinga more distinct view on KDN forest complex. Calculating Important Value Index for plant families, most studies have identified Kanneliya as the core area among the three reserves than Dediyagala and Nakiyadeniya. The topography of the Kanneliya forest reserve area made it as the core area while Nakiyadeniya also reported for high floris...
Ecotourism is a sustainable alternative to the more conventional tourism and has grown in popular... more Ecotourism is a sustainable alternative to the more conventional tourism and has grown in popularity worldwide. Although the concept of ecotourism is new to Sri Lanka, it has the potential to develop as a major ecotourism destination in Asia. As the Government of Sri Lanka intends to increase tourist arrivals and revenue, development of ecotourism in Sri Lanka has to be an important feature of national tourism strategy. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the integration of ecosystems and opportunities for ecotourism in Kala Oya Estuary in the Puttalam District. Vegetation sampling was carried out using the belt transect method. 15 sample plots of 5m x 5m quadrants were selected to examine the degree of integration of ecosystem. 25 randomly selected individuals comprising owners of tourist accommodation and villagers were interviewed to identify ecotourism opportunity in the Estuary.
Imperial journal of interdisciplinary research, 2017
Mangroves are unique ecosystem distributed among the tropical areas in the world. The study was c... more Mangroves are unique ecosystem distributed among the tropical areas in the world. The study was carried out in Kala Oya estuary in Puttalam lagoon, to identify and assess the distribution pattern of mangrove diversity. Field survey was carried out to collect primary data. Vegetation sampling was performed for 15 quadrants along the periphery of lagoon and estuary. Sample size was 5m ᵡ 5m quadrants. Water samples were collected at the sample points for salinity measurements. Shannon - Wiener diversity index was calculated for mangrove diversity. IDW interpolation in Arc GIS 10.1 version and MS Excel 2013 version were used to perform mappings and data anlysis.5 mangrove species identified belonging 4 genera and 4 families in the study area. R hizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, Avicennia marina were enumerated true species and Pemphis acidula were the common mangrove associate species that could be seen in Kala Oya estuary. Spatially highest mangrove diversity ...
Remote sensing techniques are widely used to detect and analyze land cover changes due to their a... more Remote sensing techniques are widely used to detect and analyze land cover changes due to their accuracy and cost-effectiveness. Among the various spectral indices derived from the satellite data Difference Vegetation Index (DVI) and Infrared Percentage Vegetation Index (IPVI) vegetation indices applied to model the behavior of the indices in the study of suburb ecosystem vegetation cover over twenty years. To achieve the aim of the study two objectives were formulated; detect Spatial-temporal variations in urban vegetation and how suitable the selected algorithms to study urban ecosystem vegetation. The study area is a rapidly developing area consists of several suburbs including Battaramulla, Malabe, and Kaduwela, Sri Lanka. The study used Landsat data and pre-processing, processing, geometric and atmospheric corrections were performed using ERDAS imagine mapping software and all the mappings were carried out via Arc GIS software. The results show Infrared Percentage Vegetation In...
Brackish water fishery is one of the segments of the fishery industry in Sri Lanka. Lagoon enviro... more Brackish water fishery is one of the segments of the fishery industry in Sri Lanka. Lagoon environments are the most appropriate areas for brackish water fishery worldwide. Kalpitiya is well known for brackish water fishery based on Puttalam lagoon. Generally, the small-scale fishery has dominant constraints. The objective of the study is to identify the issues associated with small-scale fishery (SSF) in Anaiwasala fishing village. To fulfil the aim of the study questionnaire survey and non-structured interviews based on random sampling method was performed with visual encounter survey for one year to obtain primary data. The available literature on small-scale fishery was studied to get secondary data.MS Excel 2016 version was used to analyse the data and perform the relevant mapping. The results show the SSF in the village has different constraints. Saccostrea spp, Merefrixcasta, Penaeusindicus, Scylla serrata and Epinephalu ssp are the dominant species in the area. 16.6% of Tung...
Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences
Wastewater treatment has a much older history even before the advent of the Great Roman civilizat... more Wastewater treatment has a much older history even before the advent of the Great Roman civilization. Today, wastewater has become a major problem with the rapid development, industrialization and population explosion. Since the beginning of the settlements, there were various methods of wastewater treatment used in many ancient cities, civilizations and countries. Along with the changes, the methods used were not adequate in response to current environmental problems. Thus, advance technology has to replace the old methods. However, history itself is an evidence of the use of advanced wastewater infrastructure. Though many papers have addressed wastewater treatment methods, there are fewer papers which address the development of wastewater treatment and methods of treatments. This appraisal expects to fill this gap.
Lagoons are one of the most precious components of coastal areas in terms of both the ecosystem a... more Lagoons are one of the most precious components of coastal areas in terms of both the ecosystem and natural capital. The immense anthropogenic activities associated with coastal areas have increased the level of degradation and destruction. At the same time impacts of changing the climate to increase the vulnerability of lagoon ecosystems. The study was carried out in the western periphery of the Puttalam lagoon and observed the environmentally threatened areas based on the Visual Encounter Survey (VES) and a questionnaire survey was also used to collect primary data. Different types of interrelated causes of degradation were identified. The root causes affect for the degradation of the Puttalam lagoon environment have a direct impact on the survival of the existing environment. Based on the findings suggestions were presented under three main categories in broader scale for sustainable management of the lagoon environment with a social impact assessment (SIA). Index Terms Anthropog...
CRC Press eBooks, May 23, 2024
Geography and Sustainability
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education, Aug 18, 2022
Human behavior has a multi-dimensional view of resource utilization; thus, vital to examine the b... more Human behavior has a multi-dimensional view of resource utilization; thus, vital to examine the behavior of groups in environmental resource utilization. The group was fishing communities in Kalpitiya Fisheries Inspector Division (KFID). Data was collected through various methods subjected to thematic content-based analysis and statistical analysis. The primary source of income is a fishery where marine fishery and brackish water fishery, along with aquaculture, were the sub-categories. Sixteen percent were engaged in both marine and brackish water fishery. A total of 18116 individuals were marginalized in the area. Un-sustainable resource utilization has decreased the area's existing resources, particularly for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Their behavior has created specific environmental problems in Wannimundalama and Manadalakuda. Though education level was not satisfactory (96%), the statistical analysis showed dis-concordant status; neither education nor the source of income affects their poor behavior in resource utilization. Comparing two fishing harbors illustrated that the cultural aspect also affects the behavior. The perception of environmental protection is also poor, IDPs. Gender vice behavior reflected that females are more willing to protect and restore the environment than males. Findings illustrated that the dimensions and categories of the system directly do not decide the behavior of groups in environment resource utilization. Environmental communication is essential and positively impacts human behavior in environmental resource utilization. The study recommends investigating the factors constraining sustainable resource utilization behavior in KFID, emphasizing the necessity of environmental communication.
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education
Water is indispensable for sustaining life, food production, economic growth, and well-being. How... more Water is indispensable for sustaining life, food production, economic growth, and well-being. However, the growing population and industrialization have intensified the demand for freshwater, posing significant challenges to water resources in Sri Lanka. This review paper focuses on understanding the types and causes of water pollution, with a particular emphasis on surface water pollution, as well as exploring preventive measures in the context of Sri Lanka. Given its severe consequences and the global issue of water scarcity, water pollution has gained attention from researchers, scientists, and organizations. Surface water bodies, such as lakes and rivers, face pollution primarily due to inadequate management of sewage and industrial effluents. Insufficient sanitation facilities in low-income settlements further exacerbate the problem, affecting the country. Despite existing regulations, the lack of monitoring allows improper waste disposal practices to persist. Rural areas exper...
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 2019
Bryophytes are the first dwellers of land plant history. The global context of bryophytes species... more Bryophytes are the first dwellers of land plant history. The global context of bryophytes species is comparatively obtained much greater concern with the emergence of the concept of conservation biology. Literature from 1860 to 2017 was used along with eresources for the review. Literary evidence revealed a rate of destruction or degradation of bryophytes has increased. The unawareness of people regarding the value of bryoflora has increased the rate of destruction. Considering both the ecological and economic value of bryophytes this review emphasized the necessity of conservation measures to protect bryophyte species.
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education
The increasing applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) for m... more The increasing applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) for mapping, predicting, and monitoring are practical for sustainable mangrove ecosystem management. This study evaluated various geospatial techniques for detecting healthy mangroves on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, including single spectral indices, supervised/unsupervised classification, and developed methods using Landsat data. The use of medium-resolution satellite data and the uniqueness of the mangrove ecosystem are generally involved in discriminating healthy mangroves from non-mangrove areas. This study focused on detecting degraded narrow patches of mangroves on the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka using Landsat 8 remote sensing data and five vegetation indices. The accuracy of the results was assessed using randomly generated points. The study used ArcGIS Desktop software for processing, analyzing, and integrating spatial data to meet the research objectives. The mangroves were detecte...
Environmental Science & Technology
Climatic and Environmental Significance of Wetlands
Freshwater wetlands are more threatened than any other ecosystem in the world. The current trend ... more Freshwater wetlands are more threatened than any other ecosystem in the world. The current trend of freshwater wetland crisis arises a question ‘whether it is conversion or conservation of wetlands' which is absolutely a dilemma. Therefore, this study aims critical evaluation at wetland governance and sustainability of urban wetlands in Colombo. The results reveal that the Colombo wetlands have lost their territory from a moderate to a severe degree. The wetland loss is higher in Kaduwela, Kolonnawa, and Kesbewa areas. Recently the causes of Colombo wetland loss has moved with a new frame. Land grabbing and green grabbing are the cycles that transforming the geostrategically important urban wetlands into hybrid ecosystems. Due to this, the frequency of flash flood events and inundation time has increased than ever. It is important to ensure urban freshwater wetland sustainability and surveillance following sustainable development goals and it is time to have freshwater ethics.
International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education
A significant tool for determining how accurate a categorization product is the accuracy assessme... more A significant tool for determining how accurate a categorization product is the accuracy assessment. Remote Sensing is one of the essential tools for compiling land use and land cover maps through image classification. The availability of high-quality Landsat imagery and secondary data, an accurate classification technique, and the user's knowledge and competence with the procedures essential to the image classification process. Assess the satellite image classification suitability for further mapping and analysis through accuracy assessments. This paper examined land use and land cover classification using unsupervised classification and extracted NDBI and NDVI further to support main land use and land cover types in the area. The accuracy of classifications was assessed using an error matrix and Kappa statistics. Land use and land cover, NDBI, and NDVI classification accuracies are almost perfect, further verified by the Kappa statistics tool. An excellent unsupervised classif...
Examining International Land Use Policies, Changes, and Conflicts
Human activities have recognized in recent years as the most significant force shaping the biosph... more Human activities have recognized in recent years as the most significant force shaping the biosphere. This is completely true concerning rapid changes in the land surface. Concerning land resources, it is important to understand how this change happens. Thus, this chapter aims to review how this change has occurred throughout the history of Sri Lanka. A piecemeal approach in the unsustainable manner of land resource utilization towards severe land changes illustrates and compares the land use and land cover changes in significant phases in the history of Sri Lanka. This was further revitalized as well as influenced by the land-use policies introduced throughout history. The absence of a clearly defined land-use policy in the country after independence is problematic when addressing land-related issues. Consequently, chronological changes in land use and land cover existed within the country has now doubled and more intensified than ever.
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP)
Much has been written both in global and local level on rice cultivation, rice production and ass... more Much has been written both in global and local level on rice cultivation, rice production and associated problems, the impact of land-use changes, biodiversity in rice fields. Yet, an area that has received little attention in the Sri Lankan context, is the avifaunal species utilizing rice fields. As a consequence of rapid urbanization, the extent of rice fields is decreasing year by year. The study followed various methods to collect primary data and used secondary data in support of findings, to achieve the objectives of the study. Figures of avifauna, figures of land use and land cover changes, figures of population growth changes were used for the study. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Equitability index used to analyse the data by objective. Mapping techniques in Arc GIS used along with descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. A total of 13320 avian species have enumerated for a period of six months in 2019 while the number of species has significantly reduced by 4994, compared to the avian data reported for the year 2009. Loss of rice field extent and overall land cover changes highly significant where the population growth and urbanization have increased. Among the species identified waterbirds and waders were dominant. Ardea alba, Ardea cinerea, Ardea intermedia, Ardeola grayii and Bubulcus ibis were dominant waterbirds utilized rice fields in the study area. A weighty decrease of bird species counts reported to the projected population data for the year 2022. Therefore, the future vulnerability of avifaunal species utilizing rice fields has to be concerned with this rapid land use and land cover changes.
Monitoring spatial changes of surface heat island formation and temperature changes in sub-urban ... more Monitoring spatial changes of surface heat island formation and temperature changes in sub-urban areas is vital in the freshwater lake management of urban areas as frequent phenomena related to climate change have undergone. The purpose of this study was to examine the Spatio-temporal pattern of urban heat island and land surface temperature and vegetation changes by using GI statistics, where hotspot analysis was also performed. The study further examined the effect of heat island and surface temperature on urban freshwater lakes where hot and cold spots identified had undergone a reclassification process. The results revealed that the increasing Land Surface Temperature (LST) due to modification and transformation of vegetated areas into concrete and synthetic built-up extents is one of the challenging problems in the selected suburbs. Both NDVI and LST hot spots and cold spots have changed compared to 2010. The LST showed considerable expansion of the hotspots within ten years ra...
Kanneliya Dediyagala Nakiyadeniya (KDN) forest complex is an international biosphere reserve belo... more Kanneliya Dediyagala Nakiyadeniya (KDN) forest complex is an international biosphere reserve belongs to the lower wet bio-climatic zone. The area is significant for exceptional plant endemicity. Due to the selective logging, exotic species like Alstonia macrophylla and Swetinia macrophylla have become pioneers of the forest area. This study is a literature-based review on the plant species in KDN forest complex with the objective to assess the floristic richness of KDN forest complex. Available studies from 1985 up to 2017 reported various information on the floral composition, diversity and abundance, ecological sensitivity and conservation providinga more distinct view on KDN forest complex. Calculating Important Value Index for plant families, most studies have identified Kanneliya as the core area among the three reserves than Dediyagala and Nakiyadeniya. The topography of the Kanneliya forest reserve area made it as the core area while Nakiyadeniya also reported for high floris...
Ecotourism is a sustainable alternative to the more conventional tourism and has grown in popular... more Ecotourism is a sustainable alternative to the more conventional tourism and has grown in popularity worldwide. Although the concept of ecotourism is new to Sri Lanka, it has the potential to develop as a major ecotourism destination in Asia. As the Government of Sri Lanka intends to increase tourist arrivals and revenue, development of ecotourism in Sri Lanka has to be an important feature of national tourism strategy. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify the integration of ecosystems and opportunities for ecotourism in Kala Oya Estuary in the Puttalam District. Vegetation sampling was carried out using the belt transect method. 15 sample plots of 5m x 5m quadrants were selected to examine the degree of integration of ecosystem. 25 randomly selected individuals comprising owners of tourist accommodation and villagers were interviewed to identify ecotourism opportunity in the Estuary.
Imperial journal of interdisciplinary research, 2017
Mangroves are unique ecosystem distributed among the tropical areas in the world. The study was c... more Mangroves are unique ecosystem distributed among the tropical areas in the world. The study was carried out in Kala Oya estuary in Puttalam lagoon, to identify and assess the distribution pattern of mangrove diversity. Field survey was carried out to collect primary data. Vegetation sampling was performed for 15 quadrants along the periphery of lagoon and estuary. Sample size was 5m ᵡ 5m quadrants. Water samples were collected at the sample points for salinity measurements. Shannon - Wiener diversity index was calculated for mangrove diversity. IDW interpolation in Arc GIS 10.1 version and MS Excel 2013 version were used to perform mappings and data anlysis.5 mangrove species identified belonging 4 genera and 4 families in the study area. R hizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, Avicennia marina were enumerated true species and Pemphis acidula were the common mangrove associate species that could be seen in Kala Oya estuary. Spatially highest mangrove diversity ...
Remote sensing techniques are widely used to detect and analyze land cover changes due to their a... more Remote sensing techniques are widely used to detect and analyze land cover changes due to their accuracy and cost-effectiveness. Among the various spectral indices derived from the satellite data Difference Vegetation Index (DVI) and Infrared Percentage Vegetation Index (IPVI) vegetation indices applied to model the behavior of the indices in the study of suburb ecosystem vegetation cover over twenty years. To achieve the aim of the study two objectives were formulated; detect Spatial-temporal variations in urban vegetation and how suitable the selected algorithms to study urban ecosystem vegetation. The study area is a rapidly developing area consists of several suburbs including Battaramulla, Malabe, and Kaduwela, Sri Lanka. The study used Landsat data and pre-processing, processing, geometric and atmospheric corrections were performed using ERDAS imagine mapping software and all the mappings were carried out via Arc GIS software. The results show Infrared Percentage Vegetation In...
Brackish water fishery is one of the segments of the fishery industry in Sri Lanka. Lagoon enviro... more Brackish water fishery is one of the segments of the fishery industry in Sri Lanka. Lagoon environments are the most appropriate areas for brackish water fishery worldwide. Kalpitiya is well known for brackish water fishery based on Puttalam lagoon. Generally, the small-scale fishery has dominant constraints. The objective of the study is to identify the issues associated with small-scale fishery (SSF) in Anaiwasala fishing village. To fulfil the aim of the study questionnaire survey and non-structured interviews based on random sampling method was performed with visual encounter survey for one year to obtain primary data. The available literature on small-scale fishery was studied to get secondary data.MS Excel 2016 version was used to analyse the data and perform the relevant mapping. The results show the SSF in the village has different constraints. Saccostrea spp, Merefrixcasta, Penaeusindicus, Scylla serrata and Epinephalu ssp are the dominant species in the area. 16.6% of Tung...
Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences
Wastewater treatment has a much older history even before the advent of the Great Roman civilizat... more Wastewater treatment has a much older history even before the advent of the Great Roman civilization. Today, wastewater has become a major problem with the rapid development, industrialization and population explosion. Since the beginning of the settlements, there were various methods of wastewater treatment used in many ancient cities, civilizations and countries. Along with the changes, the methods used were not adequate in response to current environmental problems. Thus, advance technology has to replace the old methods. However, history itself is an evidence of the use of advanced wastewater infrastructure. Though many papers have addressed wastewater treatment methods, there are fewer papers which address the development of wastewater treatment and methods of treatments. This appraisal expects to fill this gap.
Lagoons are one of the most precious components of coastal areas in terms of both the ecosystem a... more Lagoons are one of the most precious components of coastal areas in terms of both the ecosystem and natural capital. The immense anthropogenic activities associated with coastal areas have increased the level of degradation and destruction. At the same time impacts of changing the climate to increase the vulnerability of lagoon ecosystems. The study was carried out in the western periphery of the Puttalam lagoon and observed the environmentally threatened areas based on the Visual Encounter Survey (VES) and a questionnaire survey was also used to collect primary data. Different types of interrelated causes of degradation were identified. The root causes affect for the degradation of the Puttalam lagoon environment have a direct impact on the survival of the existing environment. Based on the findings suggestions were presented under three main categories in broader scale for sustainable management of the lagoon environment with a social impact assessment (SIA). Index Terms Anthropog...