1. Wetlands as Water Infrastructure: A South Asian Experience
Missaka Hettiarachchi (Sri Lanka)
Jayati Chourey (India)

2. Present state of wetlands in South Asia
Introduction
Present state of wetlands in South Asia
Wetlands are among the least protected ecosystems and are subjected to severe environmental degradation
Loosing important environmental services they offer
(Mis)management is the main issue

3. Case 1: Colombo Flood Detention Area Wetlands by Missaka Hettiarachchi

4. Proliferation of invasive species
Present status (ecological status )
Water quality highly degraded:
BOD – 29.5mg/l, DO – 4.6 mg/l Phos: 0.21 mg/l Fecal coli – 2600 nos/100 ml [Spatial and Temporal mean for the whole system]
Proliferation of invasive species
Plants: Pond Apple (Annona glabra), Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Anona glabra cover increased by 110% form Fish: Knife fish, Kissing gourami, Thilapia (Avg. 2 invasive species identified in each plot)
Present status (eco-system services)
Earlier: Human consumption, flood attenuation, drainage, agricultural use, transport, fishing
Present: flood attenuation and drainage (serves as the only drainage and flood retention infrastructure in the area)

5. Problems Management Scenario
Number of small solid waste dumps, two major municipal solid waste dumps.
89.5% of the households (200m from the wetland); NO sanitary latrine
52.5% of the households discharge gray water to the marsh
60% of the households are effected by floods
Management Scenario
Owned and managed by SLLRDC (Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation)
No community participation in management or decision making
Involvement of other stake holder organisations (CEA, LGAs) minimal
Function as a major water infrastructure is identified by managers but not properly accounted/ incorporated in development decision making .

7. Case 2: Kondakarla Ava Wetland, India
by Jayati Chourey

8. Services provided by Kondakarla Ava wetland to the communities
Ava supports a population of in 17 villages
Irrigates more than 3000 Ac. of land
Inland Fishery
Water for washing cloths
Fodder and drinking water for cattle
Aquatic plants and sediment for various purposes
Ground water recharge
Ecotourism

9. Institutional Stakeholders
District Administration
Mandal Revenue Office
Mandal Development Office
Irrigation Dept
Fisheries Dept
Agriculture Dept
Forest Department
Tourism Department
Gram Panchayats
Ava Inland Fishermen Co-operative Society
Ava Water Users Association (WUA)
Lift Irrigation Committees
Washer-folk Society
Cattle rearers’ Society
Women Self Help Group
Youth Organisations

10. Management Scenario
With a plethora of “stakeholders”, it is difficult to define the rights and responsibilities for each of these groups. conflicts exist at inter and intra village levels among different user groups.
A very common perception here is that wetland degradation is a natural process. None of the user groups has wetland conservation and management as one of its objectives.
There is no common forum, which can coordinate and monitor all the wetland use practices and take up conservation activities.

11. Problems to Ava ecosystem affecting local livelihoods
Decrease in water holding capacity, reduction in the level and area of water
 Eutrophication and Pollution
Decrease in bird and fish diversity and population
Conflict among user groups
Year 2003 Year of Misery; Consequence of Unwise Use of Ava.
Ava was fully dried for the first time in its history due to excessive irrigation supplies affecting the livelihoods of several subsistence users
Five local species of fish disappeared
and bird populations reduced by 60%.

12. Key Messages
Wetlands offer important ecological services and are instrumental in influencing the lifestyle and development of the communities
Economic value of wetlands should be established and they should be understood and treated as water sector infrastructure in development decision making
Present management system appears to be very complex with no linkages between and among different user groups.
A participatory institution for ecosystem based management, comprising all the stakeholders, is the need of the hour.

13. Thank you Missaka Hettiarachchi : nandalochana@yahoo.co.uk
Jayati Chourey :