Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-08-29

Study on Longshore Sediment Transport (LST) on the Southern, Western and Eastern coast of Sri Lanka

- The South and West coastal zone of about 370km from Colombo to Hambantota in Sri Lanka is a significantly important Economic Zone that generates 75% of the total income receivable from the tourism industry and 50% of the income receivable from the fisheries industry. The coastal zone exposed to the South West monsoon has been subject to sudden erosion and long term depreciation of shoreline due to adverse climate changes. Besides this, the rapidly developing Eastern coast of Sri Lanka along with the growing tourism industry is susceptible to disastrous situations such as tornadoes, storms and long term coastal erosion.

The sea erosion caused to the coastal lines has created serious economic, social and environmental issues. Further, with the probability of the risk of increasing the sea level and the speedy sea erosion occurring due to the frequency and intensity of other natural disasters, the coastal community and the development activities carried out in the coastal zone will undoubtedly face severe threats. Therefore, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to carry out a study on Long shore Sediment Transport - LST which has been the main cause of sea erosion, for the purpose of formulating strategies for the effective management of the Eastern, Western and Southern coastal lines of Sri Lanka, and to obtain necessary funds was approved by the Cabinet.