Annual Report 2005 - Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

IPS Research ThemesEnvironmental Economic PolicySri Lanka still has a rich natural resource base with over a fifth of the land covered in forests, an extensivenetwork of rivers, productive coastal and inland fisheries, fertile agricultural soils, diverse wildlife andgem mineral resources. The research focus of the envionrmental economic policy programme is the way to usethese resources to generate growth for the benefit of the poor and without destroying the resource base. Thisis somewhat complicated in the political context in which patronage networks gain from natural resourceexploitation. Recently there has been concern over the health and productivity of the population beingaffected by environmental problems such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, solid waste, and easy access todangerous pesticides. Further, the tsunami disaster in December 2004 highlighted the role of environmentalmanagement in disaster prevention and the increasing risk of climate related disasters to Sri Lanka.HighlightsLand Reform - Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) of Sri Lanka’s LandPolicy Reforms: Socio-Economic Impact AssessmentThis study investigates the links between the Land Development Ordinance (LDO), land and rural povertybased on an empirical study of 10 villages. While the LDO imposes many negative impacts on the poor, thestudy challenges the assumed strong relationships between LDO tenureand productivity, access to credit or ability to engage in off-farm Forthcomingemployment. Secondly, due to the extensive LDO restrictions and their Publicationscumbersome implementation, the study points to the informal and illegal Steele, Paul and Ashatransactions adopted by farmer families. Finally, the study explores the Gunawardena, “Stakelikelyimpact of lifting different aspects of LDO restrictions on different Net Fishery in SriLanka’s Negombostakeholders. It concludes that the poorest families are typically secondLagoon: A Successfuland third generation offspring of the early settlers who are either livingExample for Commonon their relatives’ land or illegal encroachers. The report of this study Property Management”,will be published by the World Bank and will be used for future policy Chapter for Promise, Trustand interventions.and Deception, TheCommons of South AsiaStake-Net Fishery in Negombo Lagoon as aSuccessful Example of Common Property ManagementThe stake-net or “kattudel” fishery of Negombo Lagoon is a common property fishery management regimethat has lasted over 250 years bringing considerable benefits to its 300 members. With considerable interestin revising and financing collective natural resource management in Sri Lanka, the study identifies thedeterminants of success of this stake-net fishery in Negombo lagoon and the lessons that can be learnt fromthis case for management of other resources. The study on “The Stake-net fishery association of NegomboLagoon, Sri Lanka - why has it survived over 250 years and will it survive another 100 years?” will bepublished as a chapter of collected case studies on resource management in South Asia, which is edited andauthored by leading researchers in the region.Research PersonnelPaul Steele, Asha Gunawardena and Dinusha Dharmaratna28__________ Annual Report 2005