Champa Navaratne, NetWwater, Key Question to be addressed by the round table discussion Negative impact s of unregulated, illegal river sand mining on livelihood, human wellbeing, domestic water supply sectors and agriculture.

Why Illicit river sand mining ? One of best raw materials for construction industry. Additional demands with post tsunami construction Steep cost increase of sand( over 250% over the last decade) has encouraged the growth of a politically powerful “ Sand Mafia“. Mining with heavy machinery Negatively affect for major 35 rivers out of 103 in Sri Lanka

Unregulated River sand mining Causes for  lowering the river bed  sea water intrusion through the river  decreasing the water quality (salinisation of water)  poor quality drinking water and irrigation water  damages to ınfrastucture  river bank erosion  threats to flora and fauna

Unregulated River sand mining Result ın  Health problems  low food production  loss of cultivable land  conflicts among affected community and sand mafia  shifting water intake to upstream  Flood disaster  threats to livelihood  women spend energy and time to carry water from far.  loss of biodiversity

Most affected victims are women.

Information on the round table discussion topic Images, schematics, facts, examples, etc. View of foundation scouring at a bridge pier Water supply intake affected by lowering the river bed

Concise formulation of the round table discussion topic (1-sentence) As unregulated, illicit river sand mining disturbs environmental flow that creates damages to human wellbeing, livelihood and agriculture that are adversely affect for the community in the long run, an urgent and sustainable solutions are needed to recover.

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