Sri Lanka

Head: Prof. Jürgen Breuste

Carried out: 2009, 2010 (as activity of the Centre for Landscape Research – CeLaRe), 2011

Duration: 14 days and a blocked course in Salzburg

2011: 6.-21. February 2011

insularic, tropical ecosystems are especially sensitive with regards to their usage and as carrier of a specific and endemic flora and fauna require special protection. This especially applies to insularic orobioms with altitudal gradation of the vegetation. Central point of the excursion were the nature- and landscape-development und the connected aspects within a comprehensive regional development:

Analysis of the landscape potentials; Detection of conflicts in the landscape and land use- development; Determination of development perspectives (scenarios); Following topics have been processed in model areas (National parks and cultural landscapes): Nature potentials, land usage, risks of usage, current landscape protection and its realisation, touristic usage of the landscape, plans and defined development perspectives.

2010: Environmental Protection and management of tropic cultural landscapes – the example of Sri Lanka

The excursion was held together with the Ministery of Environment and Natural Ressources of Sri Lanka, and thus gave the chance of getting known National Parks, research projects and development projects in a special way. Many ecosystems have been visited such as tropical rain forest, mountain cloud forests, tea and rice plantations, semi-humid forests, the touristic coast, tsunami-rehabilitation-projects and development-emphases in the east and north of the island. Also visited were the cultural triangle in the north and Kandy inthe mountain area. In 2010 for the first time, the route went through the former unaccessable areas in the north-east (Tricomalee and Batticaloa).

The excursion took place under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Breuste, CeLaRe and the University of Salzburg, and was accompanied by Dr. Jayathunga (deputy Head of the the Ministry of Environment)