Mangroves of Sri Lanka: Distribution, status and conservation requirements

Mangroves are a diverse group of highly salt-tolerant woody plants, which grow in the inter-tidal zones in tropical and subtropical latitudes. Despite its unique services to the people, coastal and marine systems, mangroves have become one of the most rapidly disappearing ecosystems in the world. This paper reviews the available information on distribution, current status and challenges of mangroves in Sri Lanka. Today, around 160 km2 of mangrove vegetation is available in Sri Lanka and distributed mainly in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Kalpitiya, Rekawa and Trincomalee and is composed of 21 species of true mangroves and 24 species of mangrove associates. Mangroves in the island have been adversely affected due to the numerous anthropogenic activities, including land reclamation, tourism, coastal aquaculture and agriculture and other industrial activities etc. Proper conservations of mangroves are urgently required to the island to avoid further decline of mangrove ecosystem. It is imperative to evaluate policies, legal instruments and development strategies to effectively protect this valuable ecosystem.

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OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH OF MUSHROOMS IN SRI LANKA

Revista Fitotecnia Mexicana ◽

10.35196/rfm.2017.4.399-403 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 399-403

Author(s):

Samantha C. Karunarathna ◽

Peter E. Mortimer ◽

Jianchu Xu ◽

Kevin D. Hyde

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Future Development ◽

Native Species ◽

Ornamental Plants ◽

Current Status ◽

Sri Lankan ◽

Mycological Research ◽

The Future ◽

Available Information

According to recent estimates the mycota of Sri Lanka is highly diverse, yet it has been relatively little studied and remains poorly understood. Sri Lanka may contain up to 25,000 species of fungi, of which only a little more than 2000 are presently known, and this estimate does not take into account the large number of exotics introduced along with food, plantation, and ornamental plants. Mycological research in Sri Lanka has been limited to certain parts of the country, and the available information is widely dispersed, difficult to access, and plagued by synonymy. Commercially cultivable mushrooms were first introduced to Sri Lanka in 1985, and today both endemic and non-native species are cultivated. This paper addresses the current status of Sri Lankan mushroom research, and suggests measures which are needed to support the future development of Sri Lankan mycology.

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Evaluating the occurrence and conservation statuses of Sri Lankan Orchids (Orchidaceae): Observations on newly recorded species and undocumented regions

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.308.1.3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 308 (1) ◽

pp. 37

Author(s):

W.A.M.P. ARIYARATHNE ◽

DEEPTHI YAKANDAWALA ◽

ROSABELLE SAMUEL ◽

SIRIL WIJESUNDARA

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Current Status ◽

Large Contribution ◽

Sri Lankan ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Forest Reserves ◽

Available Information ◽

Red Listing

Sri Lanka is a country with unique landscapes and positioning. Its land profile varies from coastal areas through lowland hills to central montane region, and the climatic zones governed by seasonal monsoons results in a significantly high biodiversity. Sri Lanka together with Western Ghats is a biodiversity hot spot among the 35 regions known worldwide. Sri Lanka harbors 3154 species of which 894 are endemics belonging to different angiosperm families. The orchid flora of the country, with 189 known species including 55 endemics is one that contributes very much for this high endemism. However 70.6% are currently listed as nationally threatened species during National Red listing in 2012. The present study was conducted to investigate the current status and occurrence of species of the family Orchidaceae within and outside the conservation areas including few unexplored/ undocumented regions in the country. Field visits were carried out mainly focusing on the flowering seasons. Fourteen different sites including Forest Reserves, Sanctuaries, Strict Nature Reserves and Wildlife Parks were taken into consideration during this study. Observations were made in the field and locations recorded, collected data were tabulated and compared with available information. The observation made during the present study would make a large contribution for updating the conservation status of orchids at national and global level red listing.

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INTERPRETATION OF SINO-RUSSIAN CULTURE AND HUMANITIES COOPERATION IN THE NEW ERA

Sociopolitical sciences ◽

10.33693/2223-0092-2020-10-3-186-193 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 186-193

Author(s):

REN YANYAN ◽

Keyword(s):

Current Status ◽

Human Relations ◽

New Era ◽

Russian Culture ◽

The People ◽

Starting Point ◽

Cooperative Partnership ◽

Belt And Road ◽

The Belt And Road

The friendship between nations lies in the mutual affinity of the people, and the people’s affinity lies in the communion of hearts. The cultural and humanities cooperation between China and Russia has a long history. In recent years, under the role of the“Belt and Road” initiative, the SCO, and the Sino-Russian Humanities Cooperation Committee, Sino-Russian culture and humanities cooperation has continued to deepen. Entering a new era, taking the opportunity to promote Sino-Russian relations into a “new era China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership”, the development of human relations between the two countries has entered a new historical starting point, while also facing a series of problems and challenges. This article is based on the current status of Sino-Russian human relations in the new era, interprets the characteristics of Sino-Russian human relations in the new era, analyzes the problems and challenges of Sino-Russian human relations in the new era, and tries to propose solutions and solutions with a view to further developing Sino-Russian cultural and humanities relations in the new era. It is a useful reference, and provides a reference for future related research, and ultimately helps the Sino-Russian cultural and humanities relations in the new era to be stable and far-reaching.

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Cancer services in Sri Lanka: current status and future directions

Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute ◽

10.1186/s43046-021-00070-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Umesh Jayarajah ◽

Anuruddha M. Abeygunasekera

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Cancer Prevention ◽

Systemic Therapy ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Current Status ◽

Main Body ◽

Prevention Measures ◽

High Quality Research ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Cancer Services

Abstract Background The burden of cancer in Sri Lanka is on the rise. The overall incidence of cancer in Sri Lanka has doubled over the past 25 years with a parallel rise in cancer-related mortality. Cancer has become the second commonest cause of hospital mortality in Sri Lanka. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the current status and future direction of cancer care in Sri Lanka. Main body In Sri Lanka, cancer services are predominantly provided by the state sector free of charge to the general public. With the establishment of national cancer policy on cancer prevention and control, there has been a commendable improvement in the cancer services provided island-wide. An increasing number of breast, oropharyngeal, thyroid, oesophageal, colorectal, lung, and gastric cancers are being diagnosed and treated annually. Primary prevention measures include restrictions in tobacco and HPV vaccination. Screening programs for selected cancers such as breast, oral and cervical cancers are delivered. Medical oncology units with facilities for systemic therapy and adequately supported by surgical, pathology, and radiology departments have been established in each district general hospital island-wide. Although the current progress is commendable, future changes are necessary to overcome the current limitations and to cater the ever increasing burden of cancer. Measures are necessary to enhance the coverage of Sri Lanka Cancer Registry. Timely high-quality research and audits are essential. Community participation in planning strategies for cancer prevention and treatment is minimal. Community-based palliative care facilities and radiation and other systemic therapy should be made available in all provinces. A culture of multi-disciplinary care with proper referral pathways would help to improve the current setting. Conclusion In conclusion, Sri Lanka has a reasonably balanced and continuously expanding program for prevention, screening, and treatment of cancers. Emphasis on preventive strategies related to reducing tobacco smoking, chewing betel, and obesity, making cancers a notifiable disease, involving the community in planning cancer care and prevention strategies, conducting research to evaluate cost-effectiveness of existing treatment and increasing radiotherapy facilities would further improve the cancer services in Sri Lanka.

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Coastline Vulnerability Assessment through Landsat and Cubesats in a Coastal Mega City

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12050749 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 749 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Majid Nazeer ◽

Muhammad Waqas ◽

Muhammad Imran Shahzad ◽

Ibrahim Zia ◽

Weicheng Wu

Keyword(s):

Spatial Resolution ◽

Land Reclamation ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Monsoon Season ◽

Coastal Protection ◽

Landsat Images ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Eastern Zone ◽

Stable Conditions ◽

Western Zone

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global mean sea levels may rise from 0.43 m to 0.84 m by the end of the 21st century. This poses a significant threat to coastal cities around the world. The shoreline of Karachi (a coastal mega city located in Southern Pakistan) is vulnerable mainly due to anthropogenic activities near the coast. Therefore, the present study investigates rates and susceptibility to shoreline change using a 76-year multi-temporal dataset (1942 to 2018) through the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). Historical shoreline positions were extracted from the topographic sheets (1:250,000) of 1942 and 1966, the medium spatial resolution (30 m) multi-sensor Landsat images of 1976, 1990, 2002, 2011, and a high spatial resolution (3 m) Planet Scope image from 2018, along the 100 km coast of Karachi. The shoreline was divided into two zones, namely eastern (25 km) and western (29 km) zones, to track changes in development, movement, and dynamics of the shoreline position. The analysis revealed that 95% of transects drawn for the eastern zone underwent accretion (i.e., land reclamation) with a mean rate of 14 m/year indicating that the eastern zone faced rapid shoreline progression, with the highest rates due to the development of coastal areas for urban settlement. Similarly, 74% of transects drawn for the western zone experienced erosion (i.e., land loss) with a mean rate of −1.15 m/year indicating the weathering and erosion of rocky and sandy beaches by marine erosion. Among the 25 km length of the eastern zone, 94% (23.5 km) of the shoreline was found to be highly vulnerable, while the western zone showed much more stable conditions due to anthropogenic inactivity. Seasonal hydrodynamic analysis revealed approximately a 3% increase in the average wave height during the summer monsoon season and a 1% increase for the winter monsoon season during the post-land reclamation era. Coastal protection and management along the Sindh coastal zone should be adopted to defend against natural wave erosion and the government must take measures to stop illegal sea encroachments.

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The less considered part: Contextualizing immaterial heritage from German colonial contexts in the restitution debate

International Journal of Cultural Property ◽

10.1017/s0940739120000296 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Mèhèza Kalibani

Keyword(s):

Cultural Heritage ◽

Human Remains ◽

Digital Archive ◽

Museum Collections ◽

Inventory Data ◽

Sound Recordings ◽

German Colonialism ◽

The People ◽

Available Information

Abstract Since the publication of the “restitution report” by Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy in November 2018, the debate around the restitution of African artifacts inherited from German colonialism in German museums has become increasingly intense. While the restitution debate in Germany is generally focused on “material cultural heritage” and human remains, this reflection attempts to contextualize the “immaterial heritage” (museum collections inventory data, photographs, movies, sound recordings, and digital archive documents) from German colonialism and plead for its consideration in this debate. It claims that the first step of restitution consists of German ethnological museums being transparent about their possessions of artifacts from colonial contexts, which means providing all available information about museum collections from colonial contexts and making them easily accessible to the people from the former German colonies.

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