Assessing the Tourism Potential of Delft Island

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1 Assessing the Tourism Potential of Delft Island Neduntivu Island more widely known by its Dutch name Delft, is the second largest island in Sri Lanka. It is located 10 km east off the coast of Jaffna. The island is connected to the mainland by a ferry service. The island is inhabited by about 4,800 people, of which 1,468 families are of Tamil origin. The island has been colonised from time to time as evident from remnants of its archaeological heritage. These ruins are believed to be remnants of the South Indian Chola dynasty and Dutch colonisation. Why Delft Its small size and unique features portray Delft as a promising tourist destination in Sri Lanka. Therefore, a study was commissioned by the Minister of Economic Development, Hon. Basil Rajapakse to assess the potential of positioning Delft as a special tourist destination that could be developed sustainably. The Assessment IUCN Sri Lanka engaged in a preliminary assessment of Delft and its environs. The assessment focused on establishing a biodiversity baseline, and included assessing the island s socio economic profile and its unique archaeological treasures. A view of Delft from the sea The habitat composition of Delft is characterised by dense growth of grasses forming a green carpet amongst the mixed thorn shrubs, covering large parts of the landscape. The grasslands are highly exposed to grazing pressure, trampling, salinity and drought. Dry pasture is essential to sustain the wild pony population, cattle and the multitude of bird species. The rest of the vegetation is comprised of palmyrah woodlands, coastal woodlands and home gardens, all which contribute Map of Delft to the aesthetics of the island s landscape. Delft does not accommodate significant biological diversity, and no endemic plants were recorded during the assessment. Arab traders have introduced the exotic Baobab trees observed on the island in ancient Feral ponies in Delft times. Of the total of 146 faunal species recorded, a single butterfly species Appais galane was found to be endemic to Sri Lanka, whilst four nationally threatened faunal species were also found, of which two are critically endangered. Delft s attractiveness is enhanced by the presence of ponies. Its current population stands around 1000, this sizeable population was originally introduced by the Portuguese. During Colonial times Delft has been used as a breeding center, with horses being distributed to other South Asian countries of the colonial empire. 1

2 The coastline of the island contains a low live coral cover. The seashore is exposed to coral rubble and sand, with a belt of coral rocks, which are seen along the shore this in itself is a unique feature of the island. The built up area contains ancient buildings with Dutch architecture, adding to the uniqueness of the island. With the conclusion of the conflict that raged for nearly thirty years, the economy of Delft has shown improvement with people engaged in various traditional livelihoods showing much enthusiasm and optimism. Most of the economic goods produced by the islanders are sold to the mainland. Tourism Potential Poor infrastructure facilities could be cited as the main drawback, preventing the development of tourism. Delft is dependent on diesel powered electricity generated by the state, with 10 per cent of households connected to it. Transport facilities within the island and between the mainland are limited and require much improvement. There are remnants of a Buddhist temple and the ruins of three stupas said to have been constructed during the early Anuradhapura period. Thus there is evidence of ancient Buddhist influence in Delft, in the form of the ruins belonging to the Anuradhapura period. The ancient ruins and the remnants of buildings belonging to the more recent colonial period are aesthetically attractive to tourists. The island s isolated nature, together with nearly 30km of beach frontage and the wild horse population enhances its uniqueness. High turbidity restricts water based recreation activities to snorkelling around the shallow reefs. Diving is not a viable option due to lack of underwater seascapes with high biodiversity. Sport fishing, sailing, kayaking, speed boat riding and gliding are other possible activities that could be promoted around the island to boost tourism. The aesthetic beauty of Delft is marred due to the haphazard dumping of waste that includes carcasses of dead horses and cattle that perish due to lack of water and fodder in the dry season. In the current context, mega tourism projects do not seem viable. However, lowimpact eco tourism could become the most viable tourism option for the Ruins of a colonial fort island. The tourism potential of Delft could be scaled up, provided that its biodiversity and archeologically important sites are conserved to a level that is valued by tourists. These aspects require a detailed study and more comprehensive analysis. Availability of water, power, developed infrastructure and improved transportation could further improve Delft s tourism potential. Sustainable Development of Delft As a small island, potential exists for Delft to (at least partly) be certified under the LEED Neighbourhood Development Rating System for an area up to 320 acres. A feasibility study could determine whether Delft Island would be able to obtain LEED certification. This would add to the attractiveness and uniqueness for Sri Lanka to market Delft as a tourism destination like no other. 2

3 Sustainable Development of the Delft Island: A Biodiversity, Socioeconomics and Archaeological Assessment for Recommendations October 2011 International Union for Conservation of Nature, Sri Lanka Country Office

4 CONTENTS Abbreviations used in the text iv Acknowledgements v 1. Introduction Objectives Methodology Site Description Assessment Methods Overall methodological approach Selection of sampling sites and sampling frequency Methodology adopted for the Floral Survey Methodology adopted for the Faunal Survey Species identification, classification and nomenclature Methodology adapted to Marine survey Methodology adapted to socioeconomic survey Methodology adapted to Archaeological survey Results Terrestrial biodiversity The Habitats The Species a The Flora b The Fauna Marine biodiversity around the Delft Island The Habitats The marine Species a The marine Flora b The marine Fauna Community based natural resource uses Marine Resources Terrestrial Resources Threats to the biodiversity and conservation Socioeconomics findings Demographic Profile of the Delft Island Administrative structure Economy in Delft Livelihoods Infrastructures Defense and Security Credit availability, cooperatives, and banks History and Archaeological findings Legends Early Anuradhapura Period ii

5 4.6.3 Colonial Period Tourism in Delft island Places of Interest Cleanliness and the solid waste disposal Sustainable tourism development in the Delft Island Recommendations References Maps Map 1. Location of the Delft Island Map 2. Distribution of habitats within the delft island Map 3. Grama Niladari (GN) divisions of Delft Island Map 4. Tourist attraction places in the Delft Island Tables Table 1: Summary of faunal sampling techniques Table 2: Some key references used for species identification and Nomenclature Table 3: Total number of Terrestrial fauna species recorded within the Delft Island Table 4. Commercially important marine species captured by fisherman Table 5. The population distribution among the six GN divisions and the number of Samurdhi recipients in each of the six GN divisions Table 6. Distribution of schools in the 6 GN divisions Table 7. The ferries that are being operated to the Delft Island Table 8. Tourist attraction places in the Delft Island Graph Graph 1. Mean monthly rainfall and temperature of the area Annexes Annex 1: Sampled habitats, uses and threats Annex 2. Total Flora checklist of the Delft Island Annex 3. Floral checklist with respect to their Habitats Annex 4. Terrestrial Faunal checklist with respect to their Habitats Annex 5. Recorded marine fauna and flora list Annex 6. Photo catalog of the Delft Island iii