About
A message from Ravi Corea
Today the world faces many challenges and adversities mainly due to exponential human population growth and their over consumption. This has led to concerns such as food and water security, health and hygiene issues, poverty and climate change exacerbated by global warming. The ever increasing disparity of wealth between the world's rich and the poor, and the disproportionate reliance of the world's poor on the environment to provide them with food, fuel, shelter, medicine and water is putting tremendous pressure on the earth's finite resources and ecosystems. Therefore poverty has become one of the most pressing issues that need to be addressed because of the enormous impact it has on the environment. The two biggest challenges in the new millennium are to alleviate poverty and to protect the environment so that future generations will continue to benefit from the earth's ecosystems. Not too many years ago the alleviation of poverty and environmental protection were seen as opposing agendas that could not be reconciled. In addition, for the most part environmental protection and conservation was regarded as a luxury to be attended to only after we had addressed the more important issues of eliminating famine, disease, malnutrition, unclean water, human conflict, and desperate poverty. We have to remind ourselves that these issues, no matter how disturbing, are in fact symptoms of more far-reaching causes: the destruction, fragmentation and degradation of natural systems, which have evolved over millions of years and buffer us from these adversities. We recognize today that eradicating poverty and environment protection are inextricably linked, and protection of the environment is critical for the future survival of humanity and all other life forms.
Since its founding in 1995 the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has recognized that poverty alleviation was critical and essential for the protection of the environment. This outlook is fittingly reflected in the Society's mandate and organizational motto, forming partnerships to make a better tomorrow. In 1997 when the Society's landmark project, Saving Elephants by Helping People (SEHP) was in its seminal stages it still had a strong focus on developing an integrated strategy. As the SEHP project expanded and matured it has broadened its focus and has been striving to bring together development planners and conservationists to work together to develop a win-win situation for people and wildlife, especially elephants. This is because human elephant conflict transcends across multi-sectoral issues, from driving poverty to being impacted by land use, livelihoods and development plans. Some of the concepts developed for SEHP have been adapted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka and the Indonesia Forest Department of Bengkulu Province, Sumatra.
Within the past 13 years since its inception the Society has grown from a one man operation to an international award winning organization with 23 full-time staff members. In addition, the Society is legally registered in Sri Lanka, United States of America and Australia. The Society has also consulted to the UNESCO Sri Lanka Commission, the Central Cultural Fund and the International Elephant Foundation. In 2008 the Society was selected by the UNDP Equator Initiative to receive an Equator Prize, which was awarded to the Society at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Looking back over the past 13 years sometimes it is difficult to believe the progress the Society has made considering the trials, tribulations and obstacles it had to surmount. I take this opportunity to say a sincere thank you to all the individuals, organizations and institutions that have supported us and believed in our vision. It is inevitable that we will meet more challenges in the future, but I am confident that with the dedicated and committed staff of the Society and our friends and supporters we will overcome them. I wish the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society all the best to continue growing so that it will continue to contribute to the conservation of Sri Lanka's natural resources and sustainable development in the years to come.
