THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CAUSED BY THE SMALL-SCALE GEM MINING INDUSTRY; WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RATNAPURA DISTRICT IN SRI LANKA.

Abstract

The gem industry can be identified as one of the world's leading mining industries. This industry has different processes such as mining, gem cutting,and selling. It is also a significant industry in Sri Lanka and has had positive and negative consequences. The main objective of this study is to identify the environmental damage caused by the weaknesses and challenges of using sustainable strategies in the gem mining industry. The Kuruwita DSD was selected as the study area and three GNDs were selected as sample sites.Microsoft Excel was used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data and GIS and Google Earth Pro were used for creating maps and data visualization. Data analysis has shown that the weaknesses and challenges in using sustainable strategies in this industry are detrimental to the environment. The results reveal that 53% of gem mining sites were abundant mine pits and there prevails a lack of awareness about the rules and regulations regarding the gem mining industry. It has also been recognized that using a sustainable approach is imperative due to its environmental impact.