Sri Lanka to update national plan for managing human-elephant conflict

A monitoring committee appointed to formulate a new National Action Plan for managing Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict has met at the Parliament Complex.

Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi and Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody chaired the meeting.

Members of Parliament representing districts severely affected by the conflict attended, along with officials from the Environment Ministry, District and Divisional Secretaries, and representatives of the Departments of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation.

Discussions focused on developing a community-based programme to manage the conflict, clearing elephant corridors and establishing elephant enrichment zones.

The committee also stressed the need to update the National Action Plan prepared in 2020.

Members agreed to formulate a new plan using the latest data, taking into account changes in elephant migration patterns, forest cover and agricultural expansion in recent years.

The Environment Ministry said the Government had already begun several measures while preparing the new plan.

These include clearing elephant corridors, establishing elephant enrichment zones under the “Wanaspathi” national programme, strengthening law enforcement in elephant management reserves, and providing the Department of Wildlife Conservation with additional staff and resources.