SYMBIOSIS WITH CANAL TRACE - Farming Wetland Model Village, Environmental Conservation & Community Development Project @ Kirala

Project idea

Nowadays, Matara city is getting highly urbanized and turning as a compact city of concrete forest. But when we consider Kirala kele , it is a unique natural place with a very rich biodiversity and consist of various ecosystems. Unfortunately, now this area has been abundant and lacks proper maintenance. So this sort of context encourages people to do unauthorized activities within its premises.
When considering both the potential and issues, a farming wetland model village idea is suitable to this place, it shows the process of natural, agricultural & traditional systems. The aim of this project is to focus on establishing a conservation with the sites which emphasize the natural systems, agricultural system, environmental education, sustainable tourism as well as cultural sustainability.

Project description

"Kirala Kele" is a marshy wetland which is located in Matara district in Southern Sri Lanka. Kirala Kele is made up of several different types of wetlands - marshland, mangrove areas, paddy lands and irrigation canals, as well as numerous home gardens. Canals were built by Portuguese Colonialists to mitigate flooding of the Nilwala River into Matara township and aid in the cropping of a further surrounding 6000 acres of rice and other farming.
A failed attempt at flood mitigation in the early 1990s has meant that the unbearable 6000 acres has now become un-farmable. The Nilwala flood protection works and expanding agriculture has changed the ecology of the forest. This reduction in historically arable land has resulted in widespread poverty and associated social and environmental problems for some 35000 people.
Through the project idea i have focused on creating a landscape which would bring out a positive outcome to the community and to the environment.

Technical information

Ecological APPROACH
Annual rainfall is making dynamic water level. Dynamic Ecosystems are making the landscape more heterogeneous and unique. In the design aspect this dynamic system will Play major role in the designs where people will experience A dynamic spatial quality with the environmental changes. Since the damage has been done so far. We can bring Back the ecosystems to a certain level by doing Ecological practices.
Succession
Retention ponds
Ecological network

Hydrological improvement
Identify the main water gates which are near to people access and fixing of the net bags there. Initially filtering of solid wastages through net bag and then absorbing the chemical content in water by rock stones.

Reduce the land acid level
Checking the land acid level, select the proper plants and apply the phytoremediation process. And when acid level comes to the certain level, those plants can be removed, and that land can be used for the cultivation.

Invasive plants replacement
Identify the proper plant partly remove the invasive plants and replace with suitable plant. When it comes to the matured level, repeat the process for next phase of invasive plants.


Reduce the water salinity level
Salinity water barricades Having gates and operate them according to salinity level. Completely open all the gates to respond to flood situations. Coconut cultivation Doing cultivation in both side of the canal.