Due to shifting coastlines, sustainable and environmental measures are vital in planning ecotourism initiatives.
![The country's rich biodiversity is at risk if the locals are not allowed input in development plans [Vinod Malwatte/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2013106103049647621_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)

Vinod Malwatte, a native of Sri Lanka, is a recent graduate of Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, US, where he specialised in environmental studies and geography. He performed fieldwork for this study in early 2013.
Due to shifting coastlines, sustainable and environmental measures are vital in planning ecotourism initiatives.
![The country's rich biodiversity is at risk if the locals are not allowed input in development plans [Vinod Malwatte/Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2013106103049647621_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)