Last updated: July 2024
The Beddagana Wetland Park is located in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, Sri Lanka's administrative capital. The wetland park plays an important role in flood regulation and keeping the city cool during periods of extreme heat. The city is located in the Colombo district and the project contributes to the flood management goals of the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project (MCUDP). It demonstrates how a wetland can be preserved while promoting eco-tourism and improved livability in the city. The target area is located within the Sri Jayewardenapura-Kotte municipality and is a part of Parliament Lake. While focusing on the protection of the wetland habitat as a flood-retention area, the project also supports selecting investments aimed at the protection and landscaping of key areas within the target area to improve livability for local people living in and around the area, while providing access to much-needed recreational space. [2, 7]
Beddagana Wetland Park
Andrina Fernando/World Bank
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
- Employment/job creation
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Protection of natural ecosystems, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Project objectives
The main objective was to ensure the protection of the Beddagana Wetland sanctuary and Kotte Ramparts from future encroachments and enable it to function as a flood-retention area for the city, including the protection of the historic areas in close proximity to the sanctuary, whilst to provide recreational space and ecotourism opportunities. Other goals include:
1. To protect flora and fauna in the area.
2. To control the flooding that occurs from any overflows from the Diyawanna Lake.
3. To control the micro-climate of the area by cooling effect and carbon sequestration.
4. To protect the city’s natural capital against heightened risks of climate change-induced disaster. [1, 3, 4, 7]
Implementation activities
Interventions included (i) enhancing the hydrology of the wetland area by cleaning existing canals to reduce the risk of floods in the Sri Jayewardenapura-Kotte area; (ii) reforestation of areas that have been deforested with endemic plants to enhance bird habitats; (iii) provision of bird-watching hides, towers, boardwalks, nature trails, and orientation centre to create awareness about the sanctuary to visitors; (iv) provision of play areas at the boundary of the wetland sanctuary along with a 2.2 km jogging track with lighting for recreational use for residents in the municipality; and (v) minimal intervention to improve existing bund road. Soft landscaping of the area and removal of invasive plant species. Interventions had minimal impact and used resources that are environmentally friendly to maintain the natural landscape and vegetation of the area. [1, 7]
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
- Restore wetlands and/or coastal ecosystems to dissipate the effects of flooding and/or storms
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
- Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Regional government
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is completely government-led and fits the goals of Metro Colombo Urban Development Project (MCUDP). [1]
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The Government of Sri Lanka has developed a Wetland Management Strategy in partnership with the World Bank. [6])
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Metro Colombo Urban Development Project (MCUDP) [1])
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Multilateral funds/international funding
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Loan
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increase in protected green space areas
- Increased number of protection areas
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
- Increased protection of threatened species
- Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- More sustainable tourism
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
- Generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
References
1. Lakpura (n.d.) Beddagana Wetland Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
2. Ceylon Pages LK (n.d.) Beddagana Wetland Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
3. The World Bank (2016). Preserving the Beddagana Wetland for Flood Protection, Conservation Education, and Improved Quality of Life. Feature Story. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
4. The World Bank (2016). Beddagana Wetland Park Fact Sheet. Brief. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
5. The World Bank (2021). Metro Colombo Urban Development Project. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
6. Dinelka, M.C. (2016) The World Bank and its affection towards economic development in Sri Lanka. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
7. The World Bank (2012). PROJECT APPRAISAL DOCUMENT ON A PROPOSED LOAN IN THE AMOUNT OF US$213 MILLION TO THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA FOR THE METRO COLOMBO URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
2. Ceylon Pages LK (n.d.) Beddagana Wetland Park. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
3. The World Bank (2016). Preserving the Beddagana Wetland for Flood Protection, Conservation Education, and Improved Quality of Life. Feature Story. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
4. The World Bank (2016). Beddagana Wetland Park Fact Sheet. Brief. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
5. The World Bank (2021). Metro Colombo Urban Development Project. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
6. Dinelka, M.C. (2016) The World Bank and its affection towards economic development in Sri Lanka. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
7. The World Bank (2012). PROJECT APPRAISAL DOCUMENT ON A PROPOSED LOAN IN THE AMOUNT OF US$213 MILLION TO THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA FOR THE METRO COLOMBO URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. URL: Source link. Accessed on 10th April, 2022.
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.