Framework for sustainable management and utilisation of wetland resources: a case study of the Madinnagoda marsh

Abstract

Wetlands, the lands of areas saturated with water throughout the year or seasonally, are the vital ecosystems of the earth. Madinnagoda marsh (wetland), in the suburbs of Colombo, is one such valued ecosystem embracing the sad truth of wetland degradation that has occurred persistently during the past few decades. Therefore, this study was carried out to develop a framework focusing on the sustainable management and utilisation of wetland resources at Madinnagoda marsh. The DPSIR (Drivers–Pressures–State changes–Impacts-Responses) framework was used for the study, an excellent tool for analysing environmental issues and devising sustainable solutions. This study attempts to further develop this Framework and then test it by applying it to Madinnagoda marsh as a case study. The usefulness of the Framework in appraising strategies to sustainably manage and utilise the wetland resources was measured as per the level to which its strategies fulfil the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since there is no ongoing development plan for Madinnagoda marsh targeting its sustainable development, this research study leaves the validation phase as a future work - though a hypothetical situation is proposed to ensure that the validity of the Framework that has been proposed is well demonstrated.