The environmental foundation Global Nature Fund (GNF) proclaims the Sri Lankan Lakes Bolgoda and Madampe as the “Threatened Lakes of the Year 2018”. In commemoration of the World Wetlands Day, the GNF draws attention to the advancing destruction of these important ecosystems.
Deforestation of mangroves, habitat destruction for constructions and water pollution are endangering the livelihoods of the local population and many endangered species in the Bolgoda and Madampe Lake regions in the southwest of Sri Lanka. The unique mangrove forests in Sri Lanka with a spectacular biodiversity are threatened by increasing human activities and stress deriving from climate change.
Thousands of people are affected by the consequences of degradation and pollution of the two unique ecosystems at the Lakes Bolgoda and Madampe in Sri Lanka. The destruction of the mangrove forests, e.g. for the construction of hotel complexes and bungalows, puts the livelihoods of the people in the region at risk. Moreover, improperly treated effluents from agriculture and industries worsen the water quality dramatically. This is not only affecting the environment but also large numbers of fishermen and other local people, whose livelihoods and food resources depend on the lakes.
Mangroves – an exceptional ecosystem
Mangroves provide the basis for many coastal fisheries, work as natural shields against storms and Tsunamis and form major carbon sinks. Together with coral reefs and tropical forests, mangroves are among the most productive and at the same time most threatened ecosystems on earth. Prawns, crabs and fish use the open area between the roots for shelter, spawning, and as a food source. Therefore, mangroves play an important role as nursery habitats for many commercially important species, such as shrimp and multiple fish species. Mangroves vanish at an alarming rate: since 1980 worldwide more than 20 %, equalling 3.6 million hectares, of mangrove forests have been destroyed (UNEP, 2014).