is not good: after the 2004 tsunami, laws were put in place that banned
construction of hotels and restaurants within 100m of the high-tide line,
yet at Unawatuna and many other coastal areas, new buildings were
built virtually at the water’s edge.
Responsible Travel in Sri Lanka
The best way to responsibly visit Sri Lanka is to try to be as unintru-
sive as possible. This is of course easier than it sounds, but consider the
following tips.
̈ Demand green Sri Lanka’s hotel and guesthouse owners are especially
accommodating and as visitor numbers soar, most are keen to give the customers
what they want. Share your environmental concerns and tell your hosts that their
green practices – or lack thereof – are very important to you.
̈ (^) Watch your use of water Travel in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka and you’ll think
the island is coursing with water, but demand outstrips supply. Take up your hotel
on its offer to save itself big money, er, no, to save lots of water, by not having your
sheets and towels changed every day. Also, stay at places without pools. If you
want a dip, stay at the beach; tell your host that you appreciate there not being a
pool.
̈ (^) Don’t hit the bottle Those bottles of water are convenient, but they add up and
are a major blight. Still, you’re wise not to refill from the tap, so what to do? Ask
your hotel if you can refill from their huge containers of drinking water.
̈ (^) Conserve power Sure you want to save your own energy on a sweltering
afternoon, but using air-con strains an already overloaded system. Electricity
demand in Sri Lanka is soaring. Try to save as much energy as possible and act as
if you are paying your own electricity bill.
̈ Don’t drive yourself crazy Can you take a bus or, even better, a train,
instead of a hired car? Even Colombo is more walkable than you think, it’s a very
interesting stroll all the way from Cinnamon Gardens to Fort and it’s better for the
environment than a ride in an exhaust-spewing three-wheeler. And encourage the
recent trend of hotels and guesthouses providing bikes for guests. Large swaths of
Sri Lanka are best toured during the day on two wheels.
̈ Bag the bags Just say no to plastic bags (and plastic straws too). The clerk
might look at you funny but you’ll be doing your bit.
For information on environmental issues in Sri Lanka, see the
following websites.
̈ (^) Environment Sri Lanka (www.environmentlanka.com) The Department
of Forestry & Environmental Science at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura has
info on Sri Lankan wildlife and essays on key environmental issues.
̈ (^) Green Movement of Sri Lanka (www.gmsl.lk) A consortium of 150
groups that are involved in natural-resource management. Among the projects
highlighted are the ongoing reports of the environmental threats posed by Sri
Lanka’s massive road-building schemes.
̈ (^) Lakdasun (www.lakdasun.org) Visit the helpful forums on this website to get
up-to-date information from knowledgeable Sri Lankan locals on how to ‘Discover,
explore and conserve the natural beauty of Sri Lanka’.
̈ Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS; http://www.slwcs.org))
Recognised by the UN in 2008 for community-based projects that made a tangible
impact on poverty, the SLWCS has opportunities for volunteering.
in 2010 the site
of the Liberation
tigers of tamil
Eelam’s last
stand, Mullaitivu,
in the far north-
east, was turned
from a former
theatre of war
into Sri Lanka’s
newest protected
area: Mullaitivu
national Park.
MULLAITIVU
The Nature of Sri
Lanka, with stun-
ning photographs
by L nadaraja,
is a collection of
essays about Sri
Lanka by eminent
writers and
conservationists.
Environm
En
tal
iss
u
E
s
(^) rESP
o
n
S
iB
LE
(^) t
r
Av
EL
in Sri L
A
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k
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