Intensified development in Sri Lanka has increased the demand for river sand which is a raw building material. The laws and regulations of the country on river sand mining are governed by the Mines and Minerals Act No. 33 of 1992 as amended in 2009 and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) and relevant Divisional Secretariats are the authorized government bodies to issue permits/licenses to persons involved in such activities. Excessive sand mining is a common practice along the
Last week saw the first UN Ocean Conference, where heads of states, civil society organizations, private corporations and scientists came together to reiterate the importance of the ocean and to facilitate actions for the protection and conservation of oceans, seas and other marine resources. The need for large scale intervention and action to save oceans is pressing. From ocean acidification to mismanagement of marine protected areas to exploitation of fish resources, the threats that this vast vital system faces are
An Ecosystem Based Adaptation Plan against Climate Change and Natural Disasters The weather patterns we are now experiencing is the new ‘norm’; climate change is here to stay. It’s the present, not in the future. Climate projections show that we can expect more severe, unpredictable weather patterns now and in the future. Gone are the days when farmers, businesses, and people could plan their lives and livelihoods based on relatively predictable seasons. Instead, the ‘new norm’ will be erratic and heavy bouts
#WithNature. A simple enough starting point to begin a narrative about where you are, or so the UN thinks. Connecting people to nature is the theme for 2017’s World Environment Day (June 5th) and the aim is to get people to tell stories of their relationships with nature, to celebrate nature and to reconnect with it. It’s the ‘people’s day’ for owning their part as agents of change to protect our shared environment. [1] The aims are admirable
Heavy rains caused landslides in Kithulkanda, Meepe last Thursday, damaging several houses. Previously EFL had conducted a site visit to this area to investigate the exploitative mining on the other side of the Kithulkanda mountain in Meepe , where 15 out of 16 quarries were reportedly violating the terms of their permits. While the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau stated that they would revoke the permits of 15 quarries, EFL learned that they had given permission for 12 quarries to
A little more than 3km from Meethotamulla, the towering garbage dump that led to the loss of 30 lives, is another stark example of Colombo’s urban solid waste mismanagement: the Kotikawatta dumping ground. Kotikawatta – Mulleriya Pradeshiya Sabha began dumping waste in Kotikawatta in 2007, in the Kotikawatta cemetery which was located at a higher elevation, yet with time the garbage began to spread to the lower paddy fields that belonged to 15- 20 private landowners. While the extent of
[mk_button dimension=”two” corner_style=”rounded” size=”large” url=”https://efl.lk/v2/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/efl_wilpattu-deforestation_sinhala.pdf” target=”_blank”]View Sinhala Press Release[/mk_button] Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Limited together with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society filed a Fundamental Rights application in the Supreme Court (SC (Ref) No. 130/2017- pending support) objecting to the illegal clearing of Reserved Forests in the Wilpattu Forest Complex, on the 31st of March 2017. The respondents for the case include, among others, the Forest Department, Central Environmental Authority, Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the District Secretariat of Mannar. The grievances
