Assignment of

Environmental Policy Planning and Assessment

Name – R.A.K.S. Chathuranga

Registration Number – 516939131
Email – ranagala.k@gmail.com
Course code – NEP 1212
1. Compare the provisions in the Forest Ordinance with that of the Fauna and Flora
Protection Ordinance. How are they similar? Are there any obvious differences?

Fauna and Flora protection ordinance

Is an ordinance to provide for the protection and conservation of the fauna and flora of
Sri Lanka and their habitats; for the prevention of commercial and other misuse of such
fauna and flora and their habitats, for the conservation of the Biodiversity of Sri Lanka;
and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The Ordinance provides protection and conservation of the fauna and flora of the
country and their habitats. It also prevents the commercial and other misuse of such
fauna and flora and their habitats. This act provides for five categories of protected
areas for biodiversity conservation to be administered by the DWC. They are Strict
Nature Reserves, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Jungle Corridors and Intermediate
Zones. Use of these zones and the produce within is subject to strict regulations. New
protected areas have been established in recent years under this legislation.

Forest ordinance
Is an ordinance to consolidate and amend the law relating to the conservation,
protection and sustainable management of the forest resources and utilization of forest
produce; to provide for the regulation of the transport of timber and forest produce and
other activities related to such transport; and to provide for matters connected therewith
or incidental thereto.

The Forest Ordinance is also a Protection Act similar to the Fauna and Flora Protection
Act individual above. The Department of Forest Conservation was established under
this Act. Unlike the wildlife Conservation Department. This department controls the
removal of timber from areas coming under their purview with the firm intention of
making a profit. Planting activities are done on large scale by this department. Various
categories of conserved forests come under this Act and Sinharaja and Knuckles are
exclusively reserved for conservation. No timber or other products for obtained from
such areas.

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 Flora

Forest
Protection
Fauna and

Ordinance
Ordinance
Legislation
Water

Air

Noise

Waste

Costal and Marine

Pollution Control

Cultural

Research

Soil

Water

x x
Forest
x x x x

Land

Costal and Marine

Parks and Wildlife

Minerals
Natural Recourses Management

Research

Land Use

Economic and Social

Consecration
x x

Preservation and Heritage

Legislation on environmental protection and management in Sri Lanka

Educational training and cultural

Research
Environmental Planning

Environmental impact assessment

Licensing

Penalties
x x
x x x

Appeals
Procedure

Institutional Management
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This two acts are basically covering below areas.

Fauna & Flora protection ordinance Forest ordinance

National reserves and sanctuaries, Constitution
of National Reserves, Strict Natural Reserves,
National Parks, Nature Reserves, Jungle
Corridors, Refuges, Marine Reserves, Buffer
Zones and Sanctuaries.
Elephants and buffalo
Vertebrates and invertebrates
Protection of plants included in schedule
Others
General licenses and permits
Offences and penalties
Appointment of officers and advisory
committee
General regulations
Interpretation and savings
Reserved and conservation forests
Forests leased by the government
Village forests
The protection of forest and forest produce
Procedure of obtaining a certificate of
registration and a permit
The control of timber and forest produce in
transit
The collection of drift, stranded and other
timber and forest produce
Penalties and procedure
Cattle trespass
Forest officers
Others

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Comparison of the both acts.
Activity
Creating Laws & orders
Management Plan preparation
Implementing prepared
management plan and
evaluation
Amendments, changes and
new preparation of
management plan
Land acquisitioning
Impact evaluation for every
new implementation and
changes.
Approval for visit to the
reserved area.
Approval for entry to reserved
area for research purpose
Implement to management
plan’s order in the reserved
area
Fauna & Flora protection Forest ordinance
ordinance
By Minister By Minister
Management Planning The Conservator-General of
Committee appointed by the Forests
Director General for every
National Reserve,
Director General The Conservator-General of
Forests or assigned
authorized person by
Conservator-General
Approval needed from Orders issuing by minister
Director General
Not mention Under the provisions of the
Land Acquisition Act
(Chapter 460) on the
recommendation of the
Minister
It’s mandatory requirement Not mention
Director General The Conservator-General of
Forests or assigned
authorized person by
Conservator-General
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2. You work as a policy analyst for the Green Party of Sri Lanka. The Green Party
plans to run a candidate in the next presidential election and wants you to help
prepare the Party's environmental platform agenda. Your task is to write an
essay that addresses the following questions:
–What do you believe as the three most pressing environmental problems Sri
Lanka face today? Describe the causes and consequences of these problems and explain
why you chose them over other possible issues.
–What are the most serious impediments to implement existing environmental policies
for coping with the problems you described?
–Present an action plan for overcoming these impediments

In the Sri Lanka, several environmental problem are occurring as critical issues to
country and society. Deforestation, solid waste management, water pollution,
negatively impact to the environmental from agricultural sector due to use of hazardous
agro chemicals, fertilizer and harmful agricultural practice.
Today the forest cover of this country is but 28.5% of the total land area. Since proper
land use management has been absent in the matter of adjusting to population growth,
every year we lost 0.5% of our forest cover. At this rate we will lose all forest cover in
another 57 years. Other most significant environment problem is poor solid waste
management in country. Infrastructure and resources for waste collection are lacking in
most parts of the country, so uncontrolled scattering and dumping of garbage is
widespread. There are no proper facilities for final disposal of most of the solid waste
produced by households and industries. Waste that is improperly dumped can impede
water-flow in drainage channels, and provides breeding places for disease vectors such
as rats and mosquitoes. Open dumping sites in natural areas cause pollution of ground-
and surface-water, and will facilitate encroachment. Open burning of waste at low
temperatures is also widespread. It contributes to atmospheric pollution and may cause
serious health problems. Water pollution another significant environmental problem of
our country water resources in Sri Lanka are the depletion and degradation of the
resource caused by various anthropogenic activities. Surface inland waters in urban
areas are polluted heavily with domestic sewage and industrial effluents, and in rural
areas with agricultural runoff. With regard to ground water in certain areas of the dry
zone, there is a high fluoride content and in hard, rocky, alluvial areas, there is a high

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concentration of iron. In urban over-crowded cities, there is biological contamination
of ground water. Over-utilization, particularly through tube wells, is another major
problem affecting ground water resources in Sri Lanka. Oil spills, dumping of waste
from ships, coral and sand mining, and activities are the main causes of marine pollution
in the country. Except for pipe-borne water supply, irrigation and hydropower schemes,
in general water resources in Sri Lanka are managed very poorly. Regulations are
available to control most water related problems but enforcement of these regulations
is lacking. The ultimate result of degradation and depletion of water resources is the
increasing health hazards. Water-borne and vector-borne diseases are prevalent,
particularly amongst urban low-income communities with poor sanitary facilities and
drainage. Despite government initiatives and legislation, very slow progress has been
made towards combating water pollution. Furthermore environmental harmful
agricultural practices are another most significant environmental problem in the Sri
Lanka. Soil quality degrading and Soil erosion due to poor soil practices in the
agricultural sector. Heavy metal contamination with soil and water sources due to
unavailability of proper agricultural policy in the country. Our objective is an
environmental conservation that restricts neither people nor the environment.

A media policy will be created to target community participation in protecting the

environment were education programmes will be developed to create awareness among
the people about the importance of conserving the environment. The subject
‘Environment’ will be introduced into the school curriculum to create awareness among
children about the importance of protecting the environment.
Mechanisms to prevent plants and animal species with mutant genetic codes from
entering the country will be put in place. Steps will be taken to either eradicate or
manage such species that have already entered the island. In order to resolve the issue
of water scarcity within natural reserves, all reservoirs within them that are now silted
will be rehabilitated so that there’s water around the year.
Due to deforestation elephant attacking to villages, as a solution to the problem of this
wild elephants attacking villages, natural fences will be erected to complement electric
fences.
Early warning technologies will be put in place so that relevant institutions and
communities will be forewarned about climate change that can have adverse impacts.
The scientific disposal of waste will be made a non-negotiable responsibility of local
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government authorities. Relevant knowledge and technical advice will be provided for
this purpose. Severe penalties will be imposed on institutions that fail to adhere to these
regulations.
Traditional trees will be cultivated in large scale on lands that are idle or have been
planted with trees that are harmful to biodiversity such as Pines and Turpentine. All
development activities will be screened by environmental impact assessments. These
are our basic environmental protection and management policy for reduce to the severe
environmental problem in our country.