The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability has called for the urgent formulation of a national policy to address Sri Lanka’s growing human-elephant conflict.
The committee stressed that the policy should be developed with the involvement of relevant government institutions, experts and other stakeholders.
The issue was discussed at a recent parliamentary committee meeting chaired by Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy, where research findings and policy recommendations from a joint project by the Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII), UNESCO and the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) were considered.
The discussions covered measures to manage human-elephant conflict, ensure adequate food and water for wild elephants, improve wildlife habitats and strengthen community participation in environmental conservation.
The committee highlighted the need for a proper management programme to reduce the entry of wild elephants into human settlements, particularly in areas where shortages of food and water within wildlife habitats are driving elephants closer to communities.
Members also called for the six identified elephant corridors to be gazetted without delay, while emphasizing the need to improve habitats within wildlife reserves and expand awareness programmes for communities living in affected areas.
The protection of the Muthurajawela wetland system was also discussed, with the committee stressing the importance of properly surveying and demarcating state-owned lands and strengthening coordination between government institutions to prevent unauthorized activities.
The challenges faced by small-scale fishing communities and possible measures to improve their livelihoods were also considered.
The committee emphasized that environmental challenges should be addressed through scientific research, reliable data and evidence-based policies, while strengthening coordination among state institutions and adapting successful international practices to Sri Lanka’s specific circumstances.
