English - Convention on Biological Diversity

The Legal responsibilities for water quality monitoring and modelling studies required for analysing water pollution conditions and trends inmajor water bodies lie with a large number of agencies, operating at local or regional levels. These include the Mahaweli Authority, the Boardof Investment (BOI), the CEA, CCD (i.e. with authority to monitor water quality in the coastal zone and regulate discharge within it), NARA(which has the broadest national responsibility for research on aquatic resources and the authority to prepare the Aquatic ResourcesManagement Development and Research Plans), Irrigation Department, Water Resources Board and the National Water Supply & DrainageBoard. Many other institutions also carry out independent water quality studies from time to time. For instance, the Industrial TechnologyInstitute (ITI) undertakes a wide range of analytical studies in water, soil and environment, as do the National Building Research Organization(NBRO), universities, and the Institute of Fundamental Studies (IFS). Even so, the analysis of water quality trends has been impeded becausethe data are often scattered, unpublished or unprocessed (UNDP. Sri Lanka Development Corporation Report 1996/1997).The Coast Conservation Department (CCD) has continued to deal with coastal zone management, including pollution, in the coastal zoneunder the provisions of the Coast Conservation Act of 1981 (CZMP, 2004). The CCD has a major role in establishing suitable coastal waterquality standards and is expected to develop a continuous coastal water quality monitoring programme that is supported by GIS application.The issue of coastal and marine pollution is dealt with in detail in the Coastal Zone Management Plan of 2004. The Marine EnvironmentProtection Authority (MEPA) is mandated to deal with marine pollution under the Marine Pollution Prevention Amendment Act No.35 of 2008and to develop guidelines for different uses of coastal waters to be gazetted by the MoENR.The MEPA is responsible for warning and promoting prompt remedial action in the event of a major oil spill in Sri Lankanwaters, or in adjacent waters that may affect the country’s marine environment. It therefore has an important role toplay in fulfilling obligations under Article 14 of the CBD, and for conservation of marine biodiversity.Air pollutionAir pollution in Sri Lanka has mainly resulted in the loss of ambient air quality in the Colombo Metropolitan Area, otherhighly populated cities such as Kandy, and the vicinity of major industrial sources that emit air pollutants. Howeverresearch now suggests that these pollutants may affect natural ecosystems a considerable distance away from thesource, resulting in adverse impacts such as forest die back in the biodiversity rich montane forests.The major source of air pollution is vehicular traffic, which is aggravated by the current fuel pricing policy thatpromotes the use of diesel over petrol. Some action to meet this problem has been taken by the introduction onunleaded petrol, traffic management to address the inadequacy of the road network for vehicular traffic that results inheavy traffic congestion. Other options to ease traffic congestion through road development are continuing.• Addressing build up of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS)Sri Lanka has ratified the Stockholm <strong>Convention</strong>, despite a history of low production of Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs), and has not manufactured any of the POPs chemicals decades before the <strong>Convention</strong> came into force. Therehave also been several measures in the past to phase out POPs. For instance DDT was phased out from agriculturalapplication by 1970 and from all forms of vector control by 1976. Of the 12 chemicals known as POPs, eight are bannedfrom use as pesticides in Sri Lanka. However, poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are still used in open and closedapplications, and Dioxins and Furans result as unintended by-products of industrial, domestic and other uses andcombustion processes. However, Sri Lanka has taken positive action with regard to addressing the problems of POPs.Among these are:• A preliminary inventory of all PCB containing equipment in the country, to be followed up with labeling andmonitoring all such equipment until the 2028 deadline for phasing out of all PCB containing equipment.• Three separate national inventories prepared for POPs pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) andunintentionally produced Dioxins and Furans.• Awareness on POPs, capacity building by training on handling PCB containing /contaminated transformers andcapacitors, testing oils for presence of PCBs ; carried out a awareness campaigns using news papers, TVprogrammes, leaflets and brochures to build awareness of POPs issues among the general public.• Ratification of the Basel <strong>Convention</strong> on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal on28.08.1992.• Preperation of a National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the control of persistent organic pollutants by the MOEwith aid from UNDP/GEF.PpFourth National Report to the CBD: Sri Lanka 96