A study of the effects of human activities on Muthurajawela wetland sanctuary

Abstract

The Muthurajawela Wetland is a significant eco-system within rapidly developing urban area which is located close to the coastal area in Western Province of Sri Lanka. It has a remarkable and strong historical background which goes back to the period of the Kotte Kingdom and Colonial era. Development of urban areas in cities needs to maintain the balance between biodiversity and urbanization. Biodiversity and ecosystem are essential considerations in sustainable urban development. The Muthurajawela Wetland as a biodiversity hot spot provides numerous aspects of cities such as regulate temperature, improve food and waste security, absorb pollution, and contribute to livelihoods, addressing poverty. Managing natural resources is a crucial part of the urban development. At present, due to the high level of unplanned development activities and constant human interventions, particularly land reclamation in Muthurajawela Wetland have led to degradation of its rich biodiversity among flora and fauna and resulted rapid changes in the natural wetland ecosystem. This paper intends to highlight the impacts of human activities on Muthurajawela Wetland Sanctuary and the means of mitigating negative effects towards its protection. The research is mainly focused on the central part of the Muthurajawela where the ecosystem is extremely vulnerable. The study is conducted through the direct investigation, questionnaire development and data collection using review of literature. The study recommends that the initiation of conservation actions to be prioritized in the central part of the sanctuary, and conducting awareness programs among the people around Muthurajawela, formalizing the legal enforcements also by restricting dumping of garbage and land reclamation, along with incorporating nature as a value addition to the socio-economic development, will effectively take part in caring the urban environment while conserving the wetland ecosystem to its greatest possible extent.