Restoring Beira Lake - an integrated urban environmental planning experience in Colombo, Sri Lanka

1-7 q g9 nq1G Restorinng An Integrated Urban Environmental Planning Experience in Colombo, Sri Lanka Metropolitan Environmental Improvement Program  Restoring Beira Lake An Integrated Urban Environmental Planning Experience in Colombo, Sri Lanka Written by Leonard Dissanayake and Ravi Pereira for the Metropolitan Environmental Improvement Program  2 Aerial view of Beira Lake TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................4 FOREWORD ......................................5 PROLOGUE: RESTORING A NEGLECTED RESOURCE ...................................... 9 CHAPTER ONE: COLOMBO CITY'S POLLUTED LANDMARK ..................................... 11 LAKE SETTING ............................ 11 CHANGING PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS ... 12 IDENTIFYING A RESTORATION STRATEGY ............. .................... 15 CHAPTER TWO: A POLITICAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF BEIRA, LAKE . 17 PORTUGUESE PERIOD (1505 - 1658) ............................. ... ... ....... 17 DUTCHPERIOD (1658 -1796) ...................................9............. 9 BRTSH PERIOD (1797 - 1948) ....... .... ... 19 POST-INDEPENDENCE PERIOD .................................23........................ 23 URBANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT ................................................ ... 24 MISUSE AND POLLUTION IN MODERN COLOMBO .............. 27 CHAPTER THREE: PAST ATTEMPTS AT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT . 29 LAKE DEVELOPMENT SCHEME ............................ ............. 29  3 LOWERING THE WATER LEVEL ........................................... ................... 31 GEDDES' PLAN .............................................................. 31 ABERCROMBIE'S PLAN .............................................................. 32 UNDP -- COLOMBO MASTER PLAN .............................................................. 34 UDA -- INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PLAN ............................................ I ........ 34 NARA -- REPORT ON THE ECO-SYSTEM ........................................................... 35 BEIRA LAKE MONITORING COMMITTEE ........................................................... 36 CHAPTER FOUR: TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED RESTORATION STRATEGY ............ 38 MEIP LEAD INITIATIVE .................... .......................................... 38 CONSULTATIVE GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION ...................................... ............... 39 National Environmental Steering Committee ............................................... 39 Beira Lake Restoration Coordinating Committee .......................... .............. 40 GETTING STARTED ON BEIRA LAKE RESTORATION STUDY ............. .................. 41 RESTORATION STRATEGY ........................ ...................................... 51 Three Options Considered, One Selected .................................................... 53 COMPONENTS OF THE RESTORATION STRATEGY .............................................. 55 Reducing Entry of Pollutants ..................................... 55 In-Lake Restoration Techniques . ..................................... 58 Shoreline Beautification & Recreational Facilities ..................................... 60 Land use zoning ..................................... 61 Lake Management ..................................... 64 Institutional Arrangements for Project Implementation ............... ............... 65 Monitoring Program and Enforcement .................................................... 66 CHAPTER FIVE: ACTION PLAN FOR A CLEAN BEIRA LAKE ......................................... 69 IMPLEMENTATION OF PHASE I OF ACTION PLAN ............................................... 71 COST RECOVERY .............................................................. 73 IMPLEMENTATION OF PHASE II OF ACTION PLAN ......................... ................... 75 EPILOGUE: ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE ASSET FOR COLOMBO ...................... 76 REFERENCES .................................................. 77 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................. ................................. 79 CONTACT INFORMATION: .................................................. 80 MAP 1. SUB-CATCHMENT AREAS OF BEIRA LAKE ........................... 81 MAP 2. EXISTING LAND USES IN BEIRA LAKE CATCHMENT ....... 82 RESTORING BEIRA LAKE  4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work would be incomplete without a word of thanks to those who contributed in so many ways to make this publication a success. We would like to convey our sincere thanks to the following persons without whose assistance this publication would not have seen the light of day. At the World Bank offices of MEIP, we gratefully acknowledge David Williams, Tom Walton, and P. Illangovan for the continuous support, valuable suggestions and editorial expertise, and Sheldon Lippman who completed the final editing and layout design of this publication. To Illango, in particular, we owe a debt of gratitude for nursing to fruition what was once merely a germ of an idea. The collaboration of our Canadian counterparts during the Beira Lake Restoration Study and the support they gave towards enhancing this publication with the inputs and colorful maps is acknowledged with appreciation. In particular, Claude Vezina and Vital Boule of Roche International and Alain Berranger of Coginter deserve special mention. Others who helped materially include Dr. U. Pethiyagoda, Christopher Don Carolis, M. E. Striwardena, Razeena Adam and Mankesh Veliah and others to numerous to mention on the MEIP-Colombo and UDA staff. On a personal note, the authors would like to dedicate this publication to Hiranthi and Violet with love and respect. Leonard Dissanayake and Ravi Pereira Authors  5 FOREWORD The World Bank-executed Metropolitan Environmental Improvement Program (MIEIP) started work in 1990 in five Asian metropolitan areas -- Beijing, Bombay, Colombo, Jakarta, and Metro Manila -- with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme. In 1993, this intercountry program began its second phase and Kathmandu joined as the sixth MEIP city. In 1995, MEIP began work in Karachi, the Northern Economic Triangle of Vietnam, and in secondary cities in existing MEIP countries. The MEIP mission is to assist urban areas tackle their rapidly growing environmental problems. The MEIP approach emphasizes the cross-sectoral nature of these problems and the failure of traditional, sectoral development strategies to adequately address urban environmental deterioration or the linkage between industrial and urban development. The work program in each city is therefore guided by Steering Committees and technical working groups that reflect the cross-sectoral, interagency nature of urban environmental issues. The policy and technical committees develop Environmental Management Strategies (EMS) and action plans for their metropolitan regions; incorporate environmental considerations into the work of economic and planning agencies; contribute to the strengthening of environmental protection institutions; and identify high priority environmental investments. The MEIP city office serves as secretariat to the Steering Committee and is managed by a local environmental professional, the National Program Coordinator (NPC). The NPC coordinates all MEIP activities and is responsible for developing the environmental network of government, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), research institutions, and communities. MEIP supports workshops, demonstration projects, and community environmental actions, and links these growing environmental network efforts with government policy and investment initiatives. RESTORING BEIRA LAKE  6 A further focus is the exchange of experience and sharing of information among MEIP cities. This has been carried out through a series of intercountry workshops that review the city work programs, exchange useful experience, and develop intercountry projects. MEIP has now established the city programs, set in motion a variety of city subprojects, and mobilized the intercountry exchange. MEIP publications are intended to share insights and experiences developed from the MEIP process and its projects. The MEIP city programs work independently, with each other, and with international partners to reverse urban environmental degradation and provide useful and replicable lessons in urban environmental management. David G. Williams Program Manager, MEIP The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this publication are entirely those of the authors of this study and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any consequence of their use. Any maps that accompany the text have been prepared solely for the convenience of the readers; the designations and presentation of materiel in them does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Bank, its affiliates, or its board or member countries concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or of the authorities thereof or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries or its national affiliation. Likewise, the material in this report should not be attributed in any matter whatever to governments, non- governmental organizations, any other institutions or individuals who participated in the Beira Lake Restoration Study and related workshops and meetings.  Beira Lake has played a rich role in Colombo's cultural heritage as evider by the pristine Temple in the South West Lake Shanties along Beira's shores add to its polluted and smelly waters. RESTORING BEIRA LAKE  8 Figure 1. Beira Lake and City of Colombo INDI I 1km Colomabo SRI ZH FOR~~~ FORT AWATTAH MunicipA Limits  9 Prologue RESTORING A NEGLECTED RESOURCE The City of Colombo is distinguished by a neglected, deteriorating but potentially magnificent resource, Beira Lake, which lies in the heart of this port City (figure 1). The lake has been in existence for nearly five centuries and once was a larger and deeper body of water which had strategic relevance to the ancient fort of Colombo. Long known as Colombo Lake, the origin of the name Beira is subject to different interpretations. The name Beira appears for the first time in a map dating around 1927. Some believe that Beira Lake is named after a Portuguese engineer named Beiro who in 1554 dammed flowing water at the present Dam Street to form a lake. Others argue that the lake was named after a Dutch engineer named De Beer who constructed the moats and water defenses of the Colombo Fort around 1700. Still others are of the opinion that Beira was derived from "de beer" which denotes a place where the boats are berthed. Whatever the name origin, Beira Lake was identified in maps (figure 2) drawn during the Portuguese, Dutch and even in the early British periods only as the "Lake" or "Colombo Lake." Despite the idyllic location and natural beauty, its potential has not been fully realized. Rather, over the years it has progressively become heavily silted and progressively polluted as a result of receiving both domestic and commercial waste. This publication provides a record of the history of the lake, its gradual deterioration, previous efforts made to improve it and future lake restoration plans. The publication aims to raise the level of public knowledge and provide information to concerned citizens who wish to maintain a dialog with decision makers and participate in the lake's improvement. It also details some of the technical and policy aspects of a recent Beira Lake Restoration Study which provides a practical blueprint for action by public sector agencies and the private developers and landowners around the lake. RESTORING BEIRA LAKE  10 Finally, it offers an example of integrated planning and management of a natural enviroiunental feature in an urban setting and an approach which could be applied in similar situations in Sri Lanka and other countries. Figure 2. Map of Colombo . .. showing Beira Lake d X C t>l 1~~~~~~~4 -Z~~~-- Oft R. Box 1. The name Colombo is believed to be a corruption of a local word. Some say it is How Colombo derived from the Sinhala term for a mango (amba) leaf or a mango tree which got its name grew in the City, but bore no fruit Kola-amba. Others prefer the derivation from the term Kolon-tota which translates into 'ferry at river kolon' [kolon being a former branch of the Kelani opening into the Harbor] and then to Kalanbu by the Moors or Kolamba [ferry, port or harbor] by the Sinhalese and its subsequent Anglicization.  11 Chapter One COLOMBO CITY'S POLLUTED LANDMARK LAKE SETTING At present Beira Lake is essentially a stagnant water body totally dependent on the run-off of its highly urbanized, mostly flat catchment which covers approximately 448 hectare. The maximum elevation within the catchment is 9.8 meters above mean sea level (MSL). The lake covers 65.4 hectares (162 acres) and has an average depth of 2.0 meters (6.5 feet). It comprises four main basins: the East Lake, the Galle Face Lake, the West Lake, and the South West Lake (figure 3). The East Lake is the largest and deepest basin (43.2 hectare, maximum depth of 5.6 meters), while the other three basins are much smaller and shallower (total of 22.2 hectare, maximum depth of 3.4 meters). The water level of the lake is maintained at 1.8 meters above MSL by a semi-circular spillway at Galle Face Lake. Two locks, the San Sebastian and McCallum, allow management of the water level and give connections to the Kelani River and the Harbor, respectively (figure 4). In the past San Sebastian Canal was the link between Beira Lake and an extensive network of canals and waterways developed by the Dutch which served to transport both goods and people and was part of the City's drainage system. No longer used for commercial transport, this network is now fragmented and in a state of disrepair. The bulk of run-off into the lake is provided by rainfall, which is highly variable due to monsoonal effects. During the dry seasons the lake water level falls and produces conditions favorable to increased microbial and chemical activity, resulting in anaerobic gas production and unpleasant smells. The turbulence resulting from this gas production occasionally causes the re-suspension of the dark, bottom muds which results in portions of the lake turning black. In addition, released hydrogen sulfide adds to the stench emanating from its polluted waters. RESTORING BEIRA LAKE  12 Figure 3. CHANGING PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS The increasing pollution of Beira Lake has become a source of concern to the Government of Sri Lanka. The pollution has made bathing and water sports hazardous to the health of citizens and reduced the lake's capacity to support aquatic life. Consequently, the lake has lost its attraction to the residents who once enjoyed its vistas and has become a nuisance to people living and working around its shores. Beira Lake is becomning increasingly isolated and, lacking proper maintenance, a national eyesore. Many factors contribute to Beira Lake's degradation including its almost total dependence on rainfall for replenishment, its stagnant condition, numerous outfalls discharging polluted waters, and locus for disposal of sewage and garbage. Moreover, the aesthetic appeal of the City is diminished due to periodic discoloration of the lake, unrestricted growth of algae and massive fish kills and bad odors. The almost complete apathy of  13 an uninformed public which has little idea of the potential value of this magnificent asset contributes to this decline. Periodically, the public and the media voice their displeasure over this disheartening situation. The Chamber of Commerce expresses its concern that attendance at tea auctions may diminish as a result of the stench emanating from the lake during periodic fish kills. Criticism is leveled against the various authorities who are perceived as having responsibility for the lake. Newspaper articles on the subject often carry provocative headlines. A newspaper editorial comments that "what is abundantly clear is that many responsible authorities and agencies have negligently permitted pollution to escalate to very considerable proportions. The lack of that proverbial 'stitch in time' has necessitated not just nine stitches but nine hundred thousand as far as Beira Lake is concerned. " In the past, the administration of Beira Lake had been the responsibility of a single individual or agency (box 2). Today, however, administrative response to public outcry about the lake has not been easy, as numerous government agencies have jurisdiction over the lake and its related activities; at best only ad hoc remedies can be undertaken. Furthermore, economic constraints, public apathy and lack of strong political will prevent the development and implementation of a comprehensive solution. The Portuguese gained control of Colombo in 1565, with the fall of the Kotte Box 2. Kingdom. The City, though nominally ruled by a Sinhala king, was in actual fact Changing under the Portuguese Captain General. administration of Beira Lake During Dutch administration of Colombo and after the fall of the Dutch East India Company, the lake was in the hands of the governor and director of the Island and the Political Council, consisting of the Controller of Revenue, the "Dissawa" (District Chief) of Colombo, the Chief Military Officer, the Public Prosecutor and five other heads of principal departments. During early British times, the administrative responsibility for the city was in the charge of a Crown Collector stationed in Madras. After 1833 the govemment agent of the Western Province administered the city until the Municipal Council was established in January 1866. With the development of the Colombo Harbor, the Beira was placed under the Colombo Port Commission (CPC), established in 1936 and given jurisdiction of the lake waters and six feet of its near shore area. With the abolition of the CPC in 1979, the Beira came under the purview of its successor, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). RESTORING BEIRA LAKE  14 Figure 4. Beira Lake in relation to other water bodies in and around Colombo 4~~~~~/L .~~~~~~~~~ FORT O BB~~eira g}