Landscape. In common parlance, the word evokes images of neatly and tastefully laid out gardens, or else a considerable expanse of scenery open to the naked eye. In any event, something nice to look at. Consequently the commonsense notion, or the commonly held notion of ‘landscape architecture’ is little more than that of a glorified gardener, no offense to gardeners or landscape architects of course.

Last week I met some ‘practitioners’ and the landscape of my perception was irrevocably altered. Here’s the story.

On May 7, 2009, Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Urban Development presented a bill in Parliament and accordingly on June 12, 2009 the Sri Lanka Institute of Landscape Architects came into being. On the face of it this assumes that the subject has to be more than designing gardens for the rich. A conversation with key figures of the institute and practitioners with considerable hands-on experience gave me some insights as to why this is not so.

Shiranee Balasuriya, Course Director, Landscape Studies, Department of Architecture at the University of Moratuwa, admitted that the discipline is largely misunderstood and that it was certainly not about pretty flowers and fountains. "At the macro level we deal with the ‘global landscape’; for instance if we fill a wetland we harm the Siberian Teal.’ In other words simple decisions that constitute the ‘everyday’ of the practice of development such as road building, land development, city planning, garbage disposal, putting up a telecommunication tower etc to ‘mega development’ such as building large dams and other irrigation infrastructure or comprehensive development strategies such as ‘Negenahira Udawa’ or ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ all come or should come under the purview of landscape architecture. There are therefore a no-boundary kind of operational space for landscape architects.

Hesther Basnayake former director Landscape Division UDA put it this way: "People think we just deal with ‘landscape’ in the narrowest sense of the word. That is only a part, actually. At the macro level we have to be engaged in planning and this includes national land use policy. Sadly, this is not happening enough. Roots of infrastructure, location of infrastructure facilities, highways, railways, dams, coast conversation etc are all part of the larger canvass on which we work."

Shereen Amendra, a founder member of the Institute and a Landscape Architect and Chartered Architect by profession said that landscape deals with the entirely of that which is called the outdoor environment. It includes but is not limited to mobility networks and of course the land itself. This means that settlements and settlement, touristic areas also come within the ambit of the landscape architect. "We have to deal with everything that is associated with modifying the environment and this includes a consideration of human behavioural patters," she said. This is clearly a challenging task and one that requires a professionalism that can only be generated by proper institutional and academic structures.

The professions contend that landscape architecture is not a new age discipline. The truth is that landscape architecture has existed from the beginning of time, and it has developed into a profession, just like architecture, town planning etc. Sigiriya is perhaps the most frequently used example of effective landscape architecture (which includes not just the matter of efficacy but that of aesthetics as well). Anuradhapura, especially after Pandukabhaya assumed the throne, can also be cited as an example where the basic principles of landscape architecture were applied to the task of town-planning. The Abhayagiriya Complex which is said to have housed thousands of bikkhus is another example. One could even say that the cascade system of small tanks found all over the Raja Rata is a model which exemplifies the holistic frame that informs modern day landscape architecture.

‘Landscape’ in this broader definition have of course been a factor in all development processes since then, but perhaps not as critically as it ought to have been. And today, as Sri Lanka emerges from a thirty year old war and enters a new age of development, then, it is imperative that the work of architects, engineers, town planners, agriculturalists, etc is appropriately complemented by that of landscape architects.

Landscape architects have to conduct site analyses which include a consideration of user requirements, functionality, sustainability, disaster mitigation as well as mobility issues. They are hampered also by the fact that there is no proper inventory of places of archaeological interest and those which have scenic value, both of which have to be factored in when ‘development’ is planned. Ideally there should be laws pertaining to human interventions in such places and this too the Institute would address, one hopes.

The problem then is not only one of perception but a serious dearth of relevant human resources.

There has been for a long time a need for professional institute to raise the discipline to international standards and also to facilitate the training of professionals of a volume that meets the national demand for landscape architects. This was first recognized, unfortunately, not at the level of national policy making but in academic circles that are related to the discipline. The University of Moratuwa set up a Landscape Architecture Unit in 1988 and its residence was in the Department of Architecture of the Faculty of Architecture. Since 1988, some 50 persons have obtained Masters degrees and diplomas and a four-year bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture has been mooted. All this would constitute steps in the right direction, except for the fact that the structures are ill-equipped to produce the required number of professionals. It is estimated that there is a dearth of at least 1000 landscape architects in the country.

The Urban Development Authority does have a division called Environment and Landscape Division (ELD). Deputy Director, ELD, D. Hettiarachchi, pointed out that 20% of all landscape architects are currently working overseas, which itself indicates the nature of the problem. Although the law requires certain departments to employ landscape architects there simply aren’t enough qualified people to recruit, it was pointed out. Ideally, the positions that exist should be filled and positions have to be created. Provincial Councils, Pradeshiya Sabhas, the RDA, CGR, the Department of Irrigation, Department of Agriculture all need qualified and skilled landscape architects. It was pointed out that Minister Gunawardena and the UDA have been very supportive of the efforts of landscape architects to promote the discipline and develop relevant structures to develop the field of landscape architecture. Much needs to be done, that much is clear.

There is a dire need to get the courses in order, to upgrade the courses so that more town planners, foresters, environmentalists, engineers, biologists, quantity surveyors, geologists etc recognize the need to be acquainted with the discipline and are persuaded to read for post-graduate degrees at Moratuwa or elsewhere. The Institute hopes that with the new Act a much needed streamlining will occur.

The situation is serious since landscape architecture is most certainly a profession of the time given that issues such as climate change have come to the fore and since the development drive has an inevitable impact on the natural landscape. The awareness and available structures pertaining to environment need to incorporate the thinking and knowledge of this discipline in a more rigorous and professional manner. It is hoped that the newly formed Sri Lanka Institute of Landscape Architects will herald a keener interest in the subject, a concerted effort to address and correct relevant lacunae in the field and thereby infuse a sadly neglected element into national development drives.