Environmental laws and institutions of Sri Lanka

Laws to control air, water, and land pollution have been established by Parliament, while land use planning has been applied to government land sale and settlement programs. A central environmental authority is responsible for overseeing environmental impact assessments - required of all government development projects - and for the planning of national environmental and natural resource policies. Numerous nongovernmental organizations exist which engage in environmental education and lobbying. Yet, according to this report, there is a widening gap between Sri Lanka"s environmental goals and achievements. Water pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, and wildlife poaching threaten many areas of the country. Inadequate management skills, ill-defined project planning, poor law enforcement, confusing procedures, inadequate training, and poor facilities have hindered the effectiveness of institutions combating environmental problems. In addition, poor interagency cooperation, inefficient use of existing data, and lack of policy leadership have frustrated private and public environmental efforts. Improved funding, leadership, environmental education, and nongovernmental organization cooperation are among the recommendations made to help strengthen environmental laws and institutions. Specific suggestions for A.I.D. assistance are also provided, along with a 37-item bibliography.