The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has been requested by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL) to develop solutions and strategies to address land use, livelihoods, human-elephant conflicts and elephant conservation issues that will arise due to the Morgahakanda and Kaluganga Development Projects of the Mahaweli Development Program.
The Challenge is
"To develop solutions and strategies to address land use, livelihoods, human-elephant conflicts and elephant conservation issues arising due to the Morgahakanda and Kaluganga Development Projects of the Mahaweli Development Program."
The integration of conservation objectives into development initiatives has always posed a challenge. While routine environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are conducted with measures developed and implemented to address a broad range of environmental concerns - in many instances, species-specific conservation measures are often required to ameliorate the negative impacts of large-scale development projects. The recent development of techniques for conservation planning at the landscape level using GIS/RS tools together with field surveys have served to bridge the divide between conservation and development objectives enabling the integration of landscape conservation with development planning processes.
Project Location
The Project is located in the Central and North Central Provinces of Sri Lanka and extends from the foothills of the Knuckles Mountain Range in the Laggala Region across the Moragahakanda and Kaluganga Project areas to the boundaries of the following National Parks: Wasgamuwa (East along the Kalu Ganga), Minneriya and Giritale to the North and the Knuckles Forest Reserve to the South and West (Map 1 & 2).
The Project will focus on three proximate areas:
- The immediate and distal areas of the two new reservoirs (Moragahakanda and Kaluganga) and their watersheds
- The proposed resettlement areas, irrigation canals and roadways
- The total conservation landscape including adjacent elephant habitats (the redline on MAP1)
The Goals and Objectives are
- Survey the entire affected area to estimate elephant population, distribution and ranging.
- Conduct an assessment of the available areas most suitable for the displaced elephants and developing GIS maps and optimal land-use strategies to maximize productivity while minimizing HEC.
- Identify the areas where the most effective elephant management techniques can be applied, e.g. electric and bio fences, habitat enrichment, alternative-agriculture practices, etc.
- Gather information on community perspectives in regard to HEC, elephant conservation, and to ensure “community buy in” for participatory HEC mitigation programs.
- Identify the areas that need habitat enrichment in order to increase the carrying capacity of the areas for elephants.
- Develop a proactive HEC mitigation model that can be replicated in other high conflict areas such as Mahaweli Systems B & C and in the Northwestern Region.
The Main Issues are
TIME - MASL and DWC need a implementable set of solutions by the end of 2008 as both projects are ongoing, so delivering these any later will mean that they can't be implemented.
FUNDING - To raise the necersary funding (approx Rs. 1.5milion or US$15,000) needed for this project within a few months.
The Methods and Activities needed are
- PHASE 1
(upto Dec 2008)
- Meetings and discussions with local stakeholders to ensure “community buy in”
- PRAs/RRAs to collect socio-economic data and measure community perspectives and attitudes.
- Base Mapping and Landscape Modeling using GPS, GIS and Remote Sensing
- Field research
- Biodiversity surveys
- Community mobilization and capacity building
- Suggest Elephant management strategies (electric & bio fences, habitat enrichment, alternative land use & livelihoods) through stakeholder meetings at the divisional/site and national level.
- PHASE 2 (Jan 2009 - Jan 2011)
- Implementing suggested strategies
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Measuring success, adapting and re-strategizing
- Publication of reports and presenting at symposiums
Stakeholder Coordination/Involvement
The Project will involve the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, Forest Department, various national and local government officials and a vast number of communities residing in the project area.
Anticipated Benefits and Outputs
Outcomes
- Empirical information on the elephant populations in parts of the Central and North Central Provinces.
- Baseline information on elephant ranging, habitat use, and feeding ecology.
- Identify areas that need further study.
- Information on HEC including community perceptions and identification of HEC hotspots.
- A greater information base to develop effective and sustainable management strategies.
- GIS Models, maps, reports and recommendations to aid in management efforts.
- An effective landscape management model giving consideration to ecological and development needs.
- A successful project integrating landscape conservation and development that can be used as model for future development planning.
Beneficiaries
- The Department of Wildlife Conservation.
- Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka.
- Forest Department.
- The communities affected by HEC.
- Communities residing in the buffer zones of protected areas through a better understanding of elephant behavior and their ecological needs.
- NGOs, CBOs and National GOs through discussions and dialogues to increase their capacity to address livelihood issues, land use planning and HEC mitigation.
- National and International researchers interested and working on the subject matter.
Anticipated Benefits and Outputs
The Lower Mahaweli River Basin has one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Sri Lanka numbering over one thousand animals (Jayewardena, 1993). With an increasing human population of nearly 21 million people and their need for land, human-elephant conflict is in the increase in Sri Lanka. It seems clear that the existing PAs cannot sustain the present populations of Sri Lankan elephants. Santiapillai et al (2006), claim almost 65% of the elephant range lies outside the systems of PAs. Therefore it will be necessary for buffer zones with elephants to be a management component of a comprehensive program. By integrating landscape conservation techniques with development programs it would be possible to achieve the following:
- Release more land for the elephants to range without being fenced in national parks.
- Reduce human elephant conflicts.
- Help to successfully establish elephant corridors, elephant conservation areas and managed elephant reserves.
- Contribute to the long term conservation of the Asian elephant.
- Provide a successful model that can be replicated in Africa and Asia.
Current Status
- Peradeniya University Zoology Special Students (2004/2005 batch) - Field Study Email of July 21st, 2008
- Update report of July 10th, 2008.
- Background Information (includes maps of the project area)
- References
- Maps and GIS project files (continually updated) - Please note that you have to register to view this information.
- Image and Video Bank (coming soon!)
WANT TO HELP?
You can make a cash donation of any amount via Any Credit Card or by A/C Payee cheque marked MG/KG Project, Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society and mailed to 127 Kingsland Street, Nutley NJ 07110, USA or 38 Auburn Side, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka. All USA donations are Tax Free.
Even the smallest amount will help! |
