Investigating the effects of built environment on coastal scenery Coastal scenic assessment of the Southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Haphazard development of built environment around coastal destinations, has become a thriving factor of scenic degradation; creating long term effects on coastal tourism. Sustainable tourism in coastal regions, must concern about sensitive factors like scenic management, in order to preserve unique coastal scenery and to extract long term benefits of coastal tourism. In a context, where the most scenic coastal sites in Sri Lanka, are rapidly degrading due to mass tourism, the Mediterranean born technique of Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES) was used to evaluate the scenery of four selected sites along the Unawatuna-Rumassala coastline prioritizing the effect of built environment on coastal scenery. Results reveal the coastline portrays classes 4, 3 and 2 of CSES. Site A (Unawatuna beach) with the minimum D value of 0.169 presents Class 4 (Human touched unattractive sites with low landscape values). While, Site B (Cliffy shore) and site D (Jungle beach), belongs to Class 3 (Natural sites with few outstanding features). Site C (Unawatuna view point) which scored the highest D value of 0.708, falls to Class 2 (Attractive natural sites). Further analysis shows that; scenery of site A has been significantly declined due to lower scores obtained for parameters associated with built environment. This site was visually disturbed through built environment factors such as, infra-structural developments, direct and indirect exposure of buildings, contrasting exterior colours, unusual scales of new constructions and constructions in elevated locations. By applying strategic plans and development restrictions the coastal scenery of Site A can be enhanced. Hence, the study proposes far-reaching design implications to rectify coastal scenery of southern coast to promote sustainable coastal tourism.