Abstract:
This paper presents the findings of a study on human activities and their socio-economic status that affect mangrove resource degradation in southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka. Southern coastal area from Dondra to Ambalangoda was selected for the study. The main objective of the study is to examine the mangrove resource degradation due to the increase in human population and their socio-economic status. Specific objectives are to examine the causes and activities of coastal human population that affect the mangrove resource degradation and why this resource is subjected to degradation by people. Mainly, primary and secondary data were used for this study. Questionnaire-assisted interviews were conducted on 2154 households to identify their socio-economic status and activities that have changed mangrove ecosystems. Population increase was determined based on data from the Department of Census and Statistics. The human impacts on mangrove forests during the last three decades were also examined. For investigations on the temporal changes of mangrove lands from 1994 to 2017, aerial photographs were used and maps were prepared using GIS. Polwatumodara River mouth area and Mahmodara lagoon area were selected to estimate the changes in mangroves due to human activities. Analysis of data indicates that the mangrove cover decreased in both areas from 1994 to 2017 and suggests that, in both study areas, increase in coastal population is the mainfactot that seriously affected on the degradation of mangrove resources. Due to the impacts from human activities, mangrove cover has decreased in the study areas. For two other cases, increased accessibility to mangrove land of the rural areas is also a factor responsible for the decline in quantity of mangroves and area covered by them due to their different usages. This study supports the idea that modern coastal developmental initiatives and activities of coastal communities should be carefully monitored to ensure that they do not undermine the importance of the mangrove species, particularly in the areas of Southern coast, where a large proportion of the population and animals rely on coastal land resources for their survival.
