According to the Bank’s website, the objective of this project is to strengthen Colombo’s tourism sector and enhance the sustainable use of heritage and natural assets.

The program focuses on diversifying tourism offerings to generate quality jobs and increase the tourism revenues retained within the country, while safeguarding Sri Lanka's valuable natural and cultural heritage. The operation will focus on transforming tourism in the cultural-heritage and nature-based tourism segments while primarily targeting the Western Province. The approaches will include investments to enhance high-quality nature and cultural experiences while unlocking access to underutilized tourism assets, development of a skilled workforce to support job creation, promotion of sustainable partnerships with the private sector and improved institutional capacity and coordination.

Given the planned construction, rehabilitation and operation of tourism infrastructure activities coupled with the sensitive environmental context & heritage sensitive sites of the project area and absence of experience in handling World Bank projects as per ESF, the environmental risk is rated “High”. Key potential environmental risks are associated with development of new and existing infrastructure for eco-tourism, such as visitor information centers, trails, and boat rides, which could lead to risks such as habitat disturbance, pollution, fragmentation of habitats in the Colombo Wetland circuit (an accredited Ramsar city), Negombo Lagoon, and Muthurajawela Wetlands (a designated protected Sanctuary). The project’s focus on wreck diving also presents risks to historic wreck ships and marine ecosystems, including potential damage to sensitive benthic habitats, cultural heritage and pollution from dive vessels. Increased tourism during operational phase can lead to increased solid waste and waste water generation, noise and light pollution which can impact both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Rehabilitation of heritage sites could impact physical cultural resources if not properly managed. The magnitude of these risks is potentially significant, if mitigation measures are not effectively implemented.

The social risk is rated “Substantial”. The social risk is rated “Substantial”. Key potential social risks and impacts include potential land acquisition, or temporary restrictions on access to sources of livelihoods (especially for vulnerable groups like fisher people in the Muthurajawela wetlands and street vendors in the Fort Colombo and Galle Face Green area), potential impacts on cultural heritage in areas such as Fort Colombo, labor influx and associated social issues (community relations, SEA/SH), and possibility of differentiated impacts on specific vulnerable groups, such as fisher folk and women.

Total Project Cost: US$ 97.00 million
IDA Credit: US$ 77.00 million

CONTACT POINT - World Bank

Task Team Leader: Amila Indeewari Dahanayake
Title: Economist
Email: adahanayake@worldbank.org

TTL Contact: Gayatri Singh
Job Title: Lead Urban Specialist
Email: gsingh9@worldbank.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

To submit an information request for project information, you will have to create an account to access the Access to Information request form. You can learn more about this process at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/access-to-information/request-submission

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. Information on how to file a complaint and a complaint request form are available at: https://www.inspectionpanel.org/how-to-file-complaint