Abstract:
Sri Lanka's coastal regions play a vital role in sustainable development,
supporting tourism, economic growth, and ecological balance. The western coast,
including Kalutara Calido Beach, faces significant challenges due to climate
change, coastal erosion, and human activities. This study aimed to assess the
environmental and human activity challenges facing Kalutara Calido Beach, to
provide an understanding of the sustainability of Calido Beach, and to make
recommendations for coastal management practices to reduce erosion and protect
the natural landscape for future generations. The study used secondary sources
including environmental assessments, academic research, Google Earth Pro and
Arc GIS software to assess the seasonal changes of the coastline, focusing on the
impact of natural forces and anthropogenic factors such as urbanization, tourism,
coastal development, and sand and vegetation removal to the coast. Assessing
coastal erosion and human impacts on Kalutara Calido Beach using Descriptive,
SWOT, Spatial, and Temporal analyses for sustainable management solutions.
The results indicate that Calido beach erosion is strongly affected by seasonal
climate variations, especially during the southwest monsoon when wave energy
and sediment transport are intensified. Sandy regosols in the region are another
cause to increase coastal erosion risk. Human intervention such as the widening
of the Kalu Ganga estuary and the removal of the beach sand bar due to the
significant floods experienced by Sri Lanka in 2017 have exacerbated this
erosion. Also, due to hotels built near the beach, irresponsible tourism, housing
complexes, shacks, and slums, unsafe wells, sand dredging along the Kalu Ganga,
and the removal of natural barriers such as mangroves, coastal erosion has
worsened. Engineering solutions such as pumping sand from the deep sea to
construct artificial beaches have only provided temporary relief. This study
concludes that a combination of geotechnical solutions, institutional awareness,
and climate adaptation strategies are essential for long-term sustainable coastal
management.
