Abstract:
Inappropriate land use patterns in Sri Lanka has created many environmental
problems. Population growth, urbanization, rising land prices, and intensive
agricultural activities are the main reasons that cause inappropriate land use
patterns. The Bahirava Kanda Grama Niladhari Division which belongs to the
Gangawata Korale Divisional Secretariat of the Kandy District is a hilly area
close to the Kandy municipality. As the study area close to Kandy city, for the
land. As such, the land is severely misused. The main objective of this study
is to study the environmental problems associated with the inappropriate land
use pattern in the Bahirakanda GND area. To achieve the target, 35 households
were selected through the simple random sampling method from the total
number of families in the study area. Both primary data and secondary data
were used in this study. Questionnaire methods, interviews, and observations
are used to collect primary data. In the secondary data review, information was
collected under books, journals, reports, maps, and office data. Quantitative
data analysis and descriptive data analysis were used in data analysis and
Geographic Information System was used to create maps. MS Excel is also
used to create tables, charts, etc. for data analysis. This analysis revealed that
the slopes of the study area are mostly used for the informal house
constructions. In Bahirava kanda, the number of informal house constructions
with risk is 38%. As a result, problems of landslide risk, maximum soil
erosion, forest degradation, groundwater pollution, and sedimentation of
waterways were identified within the area. In order to mitigate these problems,
proposals for mapping of landslide hazard areas and public awareness,
Prevention of fragmentation of lands, growing vegetation on the surface of the
land, controlling of drainage systems parallel to the slope gradient,
recommendations of NBRO for construction can be proposed.
