EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment
EIMS - Environmental Information Management System
EMD - Environmental Management Division
FD - Forest Department
FSMP - Forestry Sector Master Plan
IUCN - World Conservation Union
NCR - National Conservation Review
The need to ensure that all the forests in Sri Lanka are managed with proper attention to environmental aspects is recognized widely by the Government, state and non-state organizations and the people.
Sri Lanka has a great diversity of climate, geology, topography and soils. This diversity is reflected in its flora and fauna and the community they form. Of the estimated total of 3 000 species of flowering plants, some 830, nearly all occurring in the wet and intermediate zone forests, are endemic.
Natural forests, which are essential as habitats for plants and animals including endemic species, have been reduced in extent over recent decades. In 1956, the total area of natural forest was estimated at 2 874 000 ha; in 1980 it had been reduced to 1 758 000 ha, while recent surveys (1992-93) showed that the forest cover was 1 583 000 ha. Since then it has continued to decline.
Owing to logging concerns and conservation issues, the wet zone rainforests have been the prime area of public focus. In order to assist the Forest Department (FD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Forestry to take necessary steps to manage forests with high biodiversity, the Government established an Environmental Management Division (EMD) in the FD to enable it to deal effectively with forest environmental management issues and problems. These include reducing further degradation and loss of forest resources and providing remedial action to ensure that forests are managed in a sustainable manner. The Government of Sri Lanka requested assistance from FAO and UNDP to strengthen the institutional capacity within the FD and the EMD in order to enable them to deal with these issues.
Assistance was also sought to introduce environmentally and technically feasible plantation establishment and maintenance practices for the dry zone and to improve the planning and implementation of environmentally-aware forest harvesting and road construction methods.
The Project Document was signed by FAO, UNDP and the Government on 28 February 1990, with a UNDP contribution of $US 1 850 518, a government contribution of SL Rs 16 262 000 in kind and a scheduled duration of five years. The UNDP contribution was subsequently revised to $US 2 361 397. FAO was designated executing agency, and the counterpart agency responsible for project implementation was the Ministry of Lands, Irrigation, Mahaweli Development and Up-country Rehabilitation.
Tripartite reviews were held annually and a mid-term evaluation was held in 1993.
The overall development objectives were to ensure that environmental safeguards formed part of all forestry developments, including the traditional use of forests by people; to ensure that the establishment of forest plantations in the dry zone, including the selection of the most appropriate species and provenances, was reviewed and that improved procedures and practices were defined and implemented; to improve forest logging and extraction operations in order to reduce environmental damage to a minimum; and to improve log and timber grading in order to obtain the best value from felled logs.
The immediate objectives of the project were to strengthen the institutional capacity within the FD and the EMD in order to enable it to deal effectively with forest environment management opportunities and problems; to introduce environmentally sound and technically feasible plantation establishment and maintenance practices for the dry zone; and to plan and implement improved forest harvesting and road construction methods and technologies.
After the establishment of the EMD in January 1990, the project helped to strengthen environmental management by upgrading the department's technical capacity to enable it to design and implement a national conservation review (NCR). The review, which identified areas for the conservation of natural forests, ended in September 1996. Six international and national consultants were recruited by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) between 1991 and 1996 to assist in the review process and in the establishment of a computerized database.
A total of 20 international study tours to 45 different countries was implemented, during which environmental impact assessment (EIA), project monitoring and evaluation, geographic information systems, environmental economics and policy analysis, environmental planning, community participation in forest management and integrated forest resources management and planning were studied. Twenty national training courses and events on practical field training and workshops were conducted.
At the time this report was written, the EMD had been in operation for six years and was well staffed and functional.
The NCR of plant and animal biodiversity and the hydrological values of natural forests permitted a detailed biodiversity inventory in 205 closed canopy forests under the administrative responsibility of the FD and the Department of Wildlife Conservation. A total of 1 153 species of woody plants and 410 species of vertebrates, molluscs and butterflies was recorded. The NCR showed that 108 forests were required for the conservation of all woody plant species. It assisted Sri Lanka in its obligations under the Convention on Biodiversity Conservation and will continue to contribute towards planning.
A research and monitoring programme designed to facilitate the activities of the EMD, to assess the consequences of forestry activities and to measure changes in environmental parameters was prepared.
An environmental database system - the environmental information management system (EIMS) - was designed and developed. This proved to be a practical and efficient system for storing large volumes of data and information, analysis and reports on a wide range of forest and biological information.
A national socio-economic survey and the preparation of locality-specific case studies, initiated in 1992 and concluded in 1994, resulted in the publication of an important document on the traditional uses of natural forests by people living in the vicinity of forests. The data collected and their analysis will assist in policy development concerning which forest uses could be continued by local people. It will also indicate the steps needed to strengthen cooperation between rural communities and the FD in order to accommodate the continuing use of the forest by rural communities.
Environmental impact assessment guidelines applicable to forestry development were prepared.
The institutionalization of environmental forestry policies and, to some extent, of environmental forest management within the new EMD is sustainable and has become a feature of the FD. This can be expected to continue. The EMD is adequately staffed and its existence and operation have led to a wider understanding throughout the FD and other government agencies that biodiversity, soil and water conservation, environmental impact assessment and the fostering of closer links between rural communities and the FD are important facets of environmental forestry policy and practice.
Surveys linked to information management on biological diversity and the traditional uses of forests have provided valuable new information for forest policy formulation and for sustainable forest management. They also form useful baseline studies for monitoring changes.
The NCR has provided a firm scientific basis for the definition of a protected areas network of forests in Sri Lanka. EIA has been a helpful feature of project design and can be expected to contribute positively to the attainment of balanced and sustainable environmental forestry policies and programmes.
On-the-site training was conducted for this component, as well as some training undertaken as part of the environmental management component of the project. Study tours were organized for four staff members to Malaysia and Thailand to study plantation establishment.
The dry zone of Sri Lanka covers 800 000 ha of degraded forest land. Reforestation on these sites had been proposed in the Forestry Sector Master Plan (FSMP) to meet a major proportion of the wood requirements of Sri Lanka. The land use situation in the dry zone is complex and the silvicultural conditions are difficult, particularly for the production of high-quality wood. Approximately 140 ha of trial plantations using mechanized forestation were established in dry-zone plantations. The forest nurseries were upgraded to produce higher-quality forest seedlings.
A report on site-assessment methodology was prepared, as well as operation manuals showing the need to use genetically improved seeds of appropriate species, to produce vigorous seedlings and to prepare the site before reforestation. These manuals also stressed the importance of maintenance, protection and mechanized forestation.
Tree breeding to improve the genetic quality of planting stock was a primary concern for this component of the project. A tree breeding and improvement strategy was prepared for dry-zone species. Guidelines for strategy development and for formulating the tree-improvement programme were produced.
The establishment of a mechanized forestation programme for the production of high-quality timber requires clear planning and decision-making regarding the extent and type of product needed in dry-zone plantations.
The land-use situation in the dry zone and the role of tree planting have to be closely examined in a socio-economic context to determine more appropriate systems for tree growing and wood production.
In the short term, the cooperative forest approach should be maximized while systems that allow economic production of timber products within a sustainable and socially acceptable framework are developed and demonstrated. Sustainable rainfed dry-zone reforestation models, incorporating annual, perennial and multi-purpose crop production within a stable community framework, should also be established.
Development of agriculture in the dry zone will largely depend on forestry activities in the area. To transform degraded lands to fertile land requires a large-scale reforestation programme. It is therefore essential that suitable sites and species be selected.
One of the three components of the project was the introduction of improved forest harvesting and road-construction techniques to improve logging and extraction operations. This was intended to reduce environmental damage to a minimum and to improve log and timber grading in order to obtain the best value from felled trees. The immediate objective of this component was to make planning and practices in forest harvesting, roading and transport meet specified standards. A forest harvesting specialist was assigned to the project from January 1991 to December 1992. The project was successful in introducing these standards.
Study tours were implemented for one person to Austria (20 days), one person to Australia (14 days) and a group of four people to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand for a duration of one month during 1992. Practical on-the-spot training was provided throughout on aspects of chainsaw operation, skyline operations and on skidding and yarding.
Standards and guidelines for harvesting prescribed a minimum area of 10 ha for harvesting in both plantation and natural forests, while the lead time needed to identify and allocate the area needed for harvesting was established as between 18 and 24 months. These standards and guidelines were developed on the basis of local harvesting experience in combination with experience in other tropical countries with similar conditions to those in Sri Lanka.
Trials utilizing lightweight skidding, cable hauling, sorting and loading were of limited success owing to the lack of appropriate and reliable machinery and equipment. Late funding for the purchase of a light hydraulic loader delayed implementation.
Trials and demonstrations on felling techniques in steep terrain were implemented, as well as trials on the use of manually operated gravity skyline with fabricated accessories to remove felled logs. Cable yarding on a skyline with a farm tractor fitted with a double drum winch was tried in very steep and rocky terrain.
In the light of sound forest management practices, harvesting operations in the productive wet-zone natural forests should utilize economically over-mature trees likely to impede the normal growth of the favoured residual tree species.
A cable skyline with the use of a farm tractor fitted with a double drum winch proved effective and environmentally acceptable for steep terrain harvesting. An initial evaluation of the performance and problems of the trials operation using the machine could serve as a useful guide in making decisions for the planning of harvesting in steep terrain.
Since harvesting operations in plantation forests are concentrated, equipment should be of an appropriate size in order to lessen ground compaction and make production costs competitive.
It is recommended that the FD take steps to review the operation, objectives and sustainability of the EMD and, where necessary, make appropriate changes in order that it may continue to fulfil its role effectively in relation to the needs and operating environment of the FD. It is also recommended that the FD implement a continuing programme of in-country training with the content focusing on EIA, database management and socio-economic and environmental forest management issues. The FD should take early action to implement environmental research proposals formulated through this project and now incorporated in the FSMP, as well as ensuring that the EIMS database is effectively maintained and technical information updated as it becomes available.
Action should be taken to implement proposals for cooperative management between the FD and rural communities living in the vicinity of forests and having a traditional dependency upon them for fuel, food and other products in the field of conservation management plan preparation and implementation. The institutional and knowledge base of the FD, specifically in sociology, rural economics and agroforestry, should also be broadened.
It is recommended that the Government consider training in all aspects of biodiversity conservation and management, particularly in respect to biodiversity survey and evaluation, EIA, integrated conservation and development approaches to management and training. It should consider the formulation and implementation of forest management plans for selected forests in the wet, intermediate and dry zones as demonstrations (pilot areas) showing practical conservation forest management. It should also involve local communities and set up biodiversity monitoring systems to monitor threats to protected areas.
It is recommended that the FD adopt a tree improvement and gene conservation strategy for the whole country, modelled on the framework presented by the project for carefully selected dry-zone species. It is further recommended that the FD establish a tree improvement and genetic conservation group to implement plans to assist District Forest Officers in the development of interim seed sources for various species. High priority should be given to the establishment of base-breeding populations and the management of existing seed orchards. New seed orchards should be established and plans for gene conservation implemented. The genetic quality of planting stock should also be improved.
It is recommended to continue species trials in the dry zone, cost studies on mechanized forestation, and fertilizer and water harvesting trials to determine the optimum and most cost-effective methods for various sites in the dry zone. Clear and precise decisions on the extent of planting and type of product required should be taken in dry-zone plantations in order to select the most appropriate silvicultural systems, and great care should be taken to select site-specific rainfed reforestation models utilizing multiple-use crop production.
A Forest Engineering Unit and a Road Construction and Maintenance Unit should be set up to be responsible for survey, design and construction of roads, while additional trials should be undertaken in the wet zone utilizing cable hauling and skylining to train staff and to reduce environmental degradation in forest harvesting.
Dates of Service
Name Function Starting Date Concluding Date
International
T. Hewage National Project Director Jan. 1991 1996
R. Stevens Dry Zone Silviculturist Jan. 1991 Dec. 1994
V. Buenaflor Forest Harvesting Specialist Jan. 1991 Dec. 1992
I. Armitage Team Leader/Environment
Management Consultant April 1991 Dec. 1996
J. Jensen Associate Professional
Officer, Silviculture June 1992 1994
M. Green Conservation Review 1993 1997
D. Hughell Database Development 1991 1993
J. Redhead Research and Monitoring 1991 1994
K. Berkmuller Training 1991 1994
D. Poore Environmental Impact
Assessment 1993
Study Duration Place
Fourth World Congress 1 week Venezuela
Environmental impact assessment 4 weeks Thailand
Fourteenth Commonwealth
Forestry Conference 1 week Malaysia
Project monitoring and evaluation 4 weeks Thailand
Resource environmental management 4 weeks The United Kingdom
Environmental economics/policy 5 weeks The United States
of America
IUCN General Assembly 2 weeks Argentina
Environmental impact assessment 2 weeks Thailand
Environmental impact assessment
for development 4 weeks Australia
Watershed management 2 weeks The Philippines
FAO regional meeting 1 week Thailand
Project monitoring 3 weeks Thailand
Management assessment 3 weeks Thailand
Joint forest management 2 weeks India, Nepal
Community forestry 4 weeks Thailand
Forestry development 2 weeks New Zealand, Australia
Planning and development 6 weeks The Philippines
Plantation establishment 4 weeks Malaysia, Thailand
Forest harvesting 3 weeks Austria
Forest harvesting/site preparation 2 weeks Australia
Forest harvesting/road construction 4 weeks Indonesia, Malaysia,
Thailand
Quantity Item
1 Vehicle, Toyota Hilux 4x4 double cab
4 Vehicle, Mitsubishi Pajero 4-wheel drive
3 Tractor, 4-wheel drive
3 Motorcycle, Suzuki trailbike
2 Off-set disc cultivator and spares
2 Rubber-tyred tractor ripper
7 Personal computer
3 Printer
3 Projector, slide and overhead, and accessories
1 Photocopier
8 Chainsaw
1 Video-recorder
2 Skyline carriage and rigging blocks
Introduction to environmental management component. I.P. Armitage, 1991.
A review of forest management planning and implementation arrangements from environmental management viewpoints. I.P. Armitage, 1991.
Strip logging of old-age plantation eucalypt forest. I.P. Armitage, 1992.
A proposal for conducting buffer zone management. I.P. Armitage, 1992.
Expanding the standard forest inventory procedure. I.P. Armitage, 1992.
Policy on access to and release of information held in environmental monitoring systems. I.P. Armitage, 1992.
Desirable long-term management goals for environmental management. I.P. Armitage, 1993.
Institutional development and staffing. I.P. Armitage, 1993.
Assessing the biological diversity of Sri Lanka's natural forests. M. Green, 1992.
Conservation review of natural forests in Sri Lanka. M. Green, 1996.
Preliminary analysis of biodiversity within Sri Lanka's wet zone forests. M. Green, 1995.
Conservation review of natural forests in Sri Lanka. M. Green, 1996.
An optimum protected-areas system for Sri Lanka's natural forest. M. Green, 1997.
Report on the importance of natural forests in Galle, Matara and Hambantota forests for soil conservation and hydrology. E.R. Gunawardena, 1993.
Database development. D.A. Hughell, 1991 and 1992.
User's manual: Environmental information management system. D.A. Hughell, 1992.
Report on research and monitoring: Proposal for environmental management research. J.F. Redhead, 1992.
An environmental management research and monitoring programme for wet, intermediate and dry zone forests and plantations in Sri Lanka. J.F. Redhead, 1994.
Training needs assessment and programme: 1991-1995. K. Berkmuller, 1994.
Manual on environmental assessment for sustainable forest development. D. Poore, 1993.
Report on the preparation of EIA guidelines. D. Poore, 1993.
Traditional uses of natural forests in Sri Lanka- a national survey; Vols. I and II. S. Epitawatte, 1995.
Dry zone field manual. R.E. Stevens, 1994.
Reports and recommendations on dry zone silviculture. R.E. Stevens, 1993 and 1994.
A manual on forest nurseries. R.E. Stevens, 1994.
A strategy for tree improvement and gene conservation of forest tree species suitable for establishment in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. D.G. Nickles, 1992.
Environmental management in forestry developments - harvesting, roading and transport. V. Buenaflor, 1992.
Harvesting standards and guidelines for plantation and natural forests in Sri Lanka. V. Buenaflor, 1992.
Guidelines for harvesting planning and operations in the wet zone natural forests in Sri Lanka. V. Buenaflor, 1991.
