Title: Innovative approach for developing human settlements, commercial and industrial zones to

maintain the sustainability of “Rajarara” ecosystems for future generations in Sri Lanka

Author: Chandima Gunasena Address: Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment

Environment Pollution Control and Chemical Management Division, “Sobadam Piyasa”No 416/
C/1, Robert Gunawardana Mawatha, Battaramulla

Email: cpg810@gmail.com

Introduction

According to Charles in the year 2011, human lineage was originated about 2.5 million years ago
in savannas, across East Africa. Replacement of woodlands with savannas provided a chance to
walk upright across the grass. This new flat land gave an opportunity to free up their hands for tool
use.

With the advancement of the science and technology humans have passed several land marks in
modern development such as Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age (Essential humanities 2013)
followed by green revolution, industrial revolution and heading for the fourth industrial revolution
Klaus (2016).

All human settlement schemes established in history as well as present days spreading horizontally
across almost all ecosystems for individual and public needs creating pressure over the ecosystem
services and resilience. Increase of bare lands and impervious ares, loss of natural vegetation cover,
surface and ground water pollution are some of the impacts which may have trigger the collapse
of ancient civilizations.

Sri Lanka is also heading for the fourth industrial revolution and trying to plug in to global
economic supply chains in many ways. Land is the main limiting resource for Sri Lanka with the
increasing population pressure and the need of land for expanding agricultural and industrial
sectors.

Our ancient hydraulic civilization was also collapsed due to many reasons, among them impacts
over the “Rajarata” ecosystems and collapse of ecosystem services and resilience could be one of
the major causes Wikipedia (2018).
Presently, with the adverse impacts of climate change (Athula Senaratne et.al in 2009), Sri Lanka
is struggling to find new lands for settlement schemes, agricultural and industrial needs by clearing
natural forest cover in wet zone, intermediate zone as well as “Rajarata” or dry zone areas.

Nature of spreading human settlements in “Rajarata” Sri Lanka

During the ancient past well established Ëllanga” ecosystem nourished the livelihoods of our
ancestors (Dharmasena 2010) while supporting all ecosystem services and managing the
resilience.

During the ancient past a land classification system was existed and it was based on the
geographical or terrain features and the water availability namely, “Kanda” “Landa” “Deniya”,
“Pathakada” “Walakada” “Wila” “Wala” etc. Similarly, rainwater harvesting systems and water
purification systems were used during the ancient past. Techniques were available thousands of
years before to reduce the velocity of the flowing water, purification, ground water recharging and
increase and decrease of time of concentration, utilization of integrated constructed wetlands etc.
Udalamatta S.S (2011) and Chandima Gunasena (2018).

After the collapse of the “Rajarata” hydraulic civilization, people have moved to the wet zone and
the hill country. With the foreign invasion wet zone and the central highland was cleared for
commercial plantations altering the climate of Sri Lanka. Foreign rulers have introduced manmade
boundaries like provinces, districts, assistant government agent division etc. to manage the human
and natural resources without considering the natural boundaries like river basins, catchment areas
and ancient land classification system.

Even today we use the same unsustainable administrative boundaries to mobilize financial, natural
and human capital to solve our local problems creating devastating situations. People seek separate
geographical areas to represent and safeguard their ethnic and religious belief systems ignoring the
capacities of ecosystems and their capabilities to provide services while maintaining the resilience.
This will be the main threat to the survival of the “Rajarata” cascade or “Ellangawa” ecosystem
and the human settlements in the long run.
As discussed earlier human settlements in Rajarata area today spreading horizontally in catchment
areas of the cascade systems or Ëllanga” ecosystem and they use low line areas for agricultural
purposes. With the expansion of major cities like Anuradhapura, Dambulla and Pollonnaruwa,
highland areas nearby tanks have been used individually as well as for public mainly for
residential, commercial and industrial purposes creating severe environmental problems.

“Nuwara Wewa”

Figure 1: Human settlement schemes near the Anuradhapura “Nuwara Wewa”

Figure 1 shows the horizontal spreading of human settlements near the Anuradhapura “Nuwara
Wewa” area. People have divided the area for public and private used for many purposes, creating
sever environmental damages to the services and resilience of that ecosystem. Clearing the
highland areas belong to interlinked catchments of cascade or “Ellangava systems may lead to
environmental catastrophe in future. Due to the mismanagement of septic waste and other
municipal solid waste, surface and ground water could be polluted in the long run.
Present paper discusses an innovative approach for implementing human settlement schemes,
commercial areas and industrial zones in “Rajarata” or dry zone of Sri Lanka to protect existing
ecosystems and their services and resilience.

Propose Method of establishing human settlements in “Rajarata” Area

“Ellangawa” system is the most sustainable way of utilizing the dry zone lands while maintaining
the necessary ecosystem services and resilience of those ecosystems. Mismanagement of the
natural resources may cause serious environmental catastrophe leading to abandoning the
“Rajarata” area for the second time within the known history.

Proposed housing schemes or industrial zones could be arranged as shown in the Figure 2. Land
areas for settlements, commercial and industrial purposes have to be selected along the interface
where highlands meet the low lying areas. This approach will eliminate encroaching highlands for
human settlements in the future while supporting the ecosystem services of the “Rajarata” cascade
system.

Tank

Tank

Tank
Tank

Figure 2: Proposed vertically expanded human settlements and industrial zones

in “Rajarata” area
Proposed Land management system

Existing individual land ownership could be maintained as it is. But stakeholders must agree to
have their settlements, commercial and industrial entities in the proposed schemes. Government
or the responsible local authority must develop a suitable cultivation plan for the highland and low
lying areas considering the local and global needs facilitating to establish supply chains.

It is a community as well as government responsibility to safeguard the cascade or the “Ellangawa”

system to protect the dry zone ecosystems and keep the sustainability for the future generations.

Managing logistics

Vertical and Lanier arrangement of buildings along the highland, lowland interface provide
opportunities to handle industrial and household drinking water problems effectively. This will
help to eliminate the Unidentified Chronic Kidney Disease in the “Rajarata” area. Community
based disposal, collection and transport of municipal and industrial waste could be arranged easily
while supporting recycling industry and production of organic fertilizers. Power,
telecommunication and drainage line management will also be easier and cost effective than
traditional housing schemes. Solar and wind energies could be used as alternative energies for the
proposed settlement schemes.

Transport facilities could be provided very easily and everybody can have quality transport service
minimizing the need of individual transport systems. This will help to improve the utilization of
time and fuel efficiently.

Social integrity and livelihood improvements

People will have opportunity to live together in a safer environment without any disturbances form
droughts, floods, or from animals. Community centers and other social facilities will improve the
livelihoods of the “Rajarata” community. Since the hospitals, schools and other public services are
easily accessed due to efficient transportation system, people will have more chance to obtain
educational, health and other public facilities than traditional settlement schemes.
Expected outcome

Establishing the proposed settlement scheme along the interface between the highland and the
lowland will provide several benefits to the humans as well as the other flora and fauna
communities.

Instead of demarcating individual land parcels in those cascade systems based on the ethnicity or
other cultural differences, people could enjoy in the aesthetically pleasing environment or the
beauty of the “Rajarata” or dry zone near by paddy fields or reservoirs as a community with the
proposed settlement scheme.

Key Words

Human settlements, Ellanga ecosystem, Sustainability, Social and cultural harmony.

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