Title: Multi disciplinary approach on DPSWR on coastal & marine resources of Sri Lanka

Biography:

Sudarsha De Silva is a well known science and environment reporter from Sri Lanka. He was recognized as the best environment reporter in Sri Lanka by the Ministry of Environment 2009. He is the head and Chief Editor of Earth-Lanka News Network the only online media in Sri Lanka for science and environment reporting. 

Abstract

The growing human and environmental pressures in coastal areas have significant impact on marine living and non- living resources, especially developing island like Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has a maritime areas of 230,000 km2 belonging to country’s about three times larger than the land area. Ocean resources of Sri Lanka fall within the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem, which has been considered as one of the most productive ecosystem in the world oceans that consist of living and non-living resources including energy resources. But, Country under the pressure on marine litter and micro plastic pollution has been growing over the past few decades at an unprecedented rate putting coastal and ocean resources at a great risk. Such as, marine habitats, species, mammals, turtles and birds from beaches to deep sea water. Therefore, country need to focus on holistic approach to marine environmental management which considers the environmental, societal and economic impacts of all activities. In order to, this article used DPSWR (Drives – Pressure – State – Welfare - Response) analytical framework to understand the problems and identify measures to manage these problems. The Driving forces are the activities and social factor of marine litter and micro plastic pollution activities, directly or / and indirectly put Pressure on the marine environment in various ways. The pressure change or have an impacts on the State of the environment, which subsequently change or impact the ecosystem goods and services provided and the human welfare (Welfare)  attributable to a change in state. Those then required Responses (as measures and incentives i.e. Policy Instruments) to reduce at least one impact of change in state or welfare. Sri Lanka plays a key point when considering maritime boundary with neighbor countries. The methodology will be a macro analysis on the key aspects of mainstreaming coastal and marine resources of Sri Lanka, integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development. Environmental, social and economic, policy and institutional coherence, financing the sustainable development agenda and data readiness for monitoring and evaluation.