Spatial Planning for Promoting Sustainable Development in Pachchilaipalli Divisional Secretariat in the Killinochchi District of Sri Lanka- A Case Study for Post-Conflict Development

Abstract

Reconstruction and development in post-disaster or post conflict situations pose multiple challenges. These scenarios necessitate high investment for rapid reconstruction, socio-economic development to minimize future conflicts or disasters, and opportunities to introduce; landuse planning, environmental, engineering and other best practices for increased sustainability and resilience. The post-conflict situation in the Killinochchi District presents a scenario with agencies having outdated data, missing critical information, an intensive development drive which exerts pressures on nature, culture and large number of scattered development plans. The study involves three stages, namely, establishment of baseline data, analysis of digital data and development of a zoning map as a proposed landuse. This facilitates the decision making in development activities within the area with environmnetal conservation, and coordinates stakeholder agencies for sustainable development. The entire Killinochchi District was divided in to 92 equal grids for micro level planning and 5 Km2 area in Pachchilaipalli DS Division was selected to initiate the case study. The topographical survey maps developed in 1956, 1983 and 2010 were used for spatial analysis, and to compare the landuse changes occurred during the last 57 years in the area of study. Arc GIS 10.1 software was used to develop spatial maps of different sectors. The zoning map which was prepared as the proposed landuse plan illustrates the spatial distribution of areas for development with minimum environmental impacts as the key output of the study.