Enhancing Community Resilience via Sustainable Management of Abandoned Paddy Lands in Bentota, Sri Lanka

Salt water intrusion (SWI) and coastal salinity are major causes for abandoning the paddy lands in Sri Lanka. More than 80% of paddy lands in left bank of Bentota River basin have been progressively abandoned due to contrasting degrees of saltwater intrusion by intimidating for agriculture, fishery, tourism and ground water in the area. This study was conducted applying the toolkit for the Indicators of Resilience in Socio-ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS, 2014) through stakeholder perception based approach. Indictor scores and trend analysis indicate that there is a negative trend in resilience capacity of Bentota landscape in terms of abandoning the paddy lands. Several issues in contradiction of the utilization of abandoned paddy lands and the location specific land management strategies for utilizing abandoned paddy lands were identified by consulting prospective stakeholders of the area for enhancing community resilience without undermining their eco-social basis. New technological innovations as outcome of recent research and development initiatives can be introduced and promoted among the stakeholders in the area who would be the pillars for regaining the successive agriculture in Bentota area by enhancing the land productivity of abandoned paddy lands towards the sustainable land management.