Blaming haphazard human actions for current plight

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Crop damage caused by animals can only be effectively addressed through a holistic approach that examines the factors driving wildlife out of their traditional habitats and the reasons behind the population growth of certain species, environmentalists assert.

The destruction and fragmentation of natural ecosystems to make way for human settlements, commercial plantations, and unplanned development projects have severely disrupted wildlife habitats in recent decades, Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), said.

Additionally, the introduction and widespread cultivation of non-native plantations, such as acacia, pine, eucalyptus, and teak, along with monoculture cash crops, such as tea, rubber, oil palm, maize, and bananas, have resulted in the loss of natural habitats and food sources for animals.

“Moreover, the spread of invasive plant species, such as giant mimosa, lantana, guinea grass, thorny bushes, water hyacinth, and others, within these habitats, has rendered them unsuitable for wildlife. This has forced animals, such as monkeys, wild boars, porcupines, peacocks, and elephants, to leave their habitats and venture into farmlands, causing significant crop damage,” Chamikara said. He noted that human activities, such as improper waste disposal near wildlife habitats and the feeding of animals during tourism and religious activities, have encouraged these animals to move into farmland.

In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, the decline in natural predators, due to habitat disruption, has led to population increases in certain species. Professor Sampath S. Seneviratne of the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences at the University of Colombo highlighted the significant decline in the population of Sri Lankan jackals—around 60 percent in the last two decades—which, he said indicates serious environmental problems.

“Jackals and farmers are not in conflict. Jackals prey on animals that are a nuisance to farmers, such as serpents, rodents, peacocks, and small pigs. They are crucial for maintaining ecosystem balance. When the jackal population decreases, it signals a collapse in the ecosystem’s equilibrium. Simultaneously, we have observed a sharp rise in the peacock population,” Professor Seneviratne said.

The proliferation of peacocks in the wet zone is a relatively recent phenomenon, he explained, as jackals had previously kept their population in check, restricting them to the dry zone. “Peacock eggs are vulnerable to predators, but adult peacocks have no natural enemies. Jackals would eat their eggs and young, preventing overpopulation. With the decline in jackal numbers, the peacock population has exploded,” he said.

Chamikara said that understanding the current ecological and agricultural crisis requires examining Sri Lanka’s forest cover history. Historical records indicate that in 1881, Sri Lanka’s forest cover was approximately 84 percent of its total land area. By 1900, this had fallen to 70 percent, largely due to the rapid clearing of wet zone forests for coffee and tea plantations. A forest survey conducted between 1956 and 1961 revealed a further reduction, with forest cover down to 44.2 percent (roughly 2.9 million hectares).

The second forest survey, conducted between 1982 and 1985 under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), indicated that forest cover had declined to 37.5 percent (2.46 million hectares). By 1992, analyses by C. Legg and N. Jewell revealed a further decrease to 31.2 percent (2.04 million hectares). This trend continued, with forest cover reaching 29.6 percent (1.94 million hectares) by 1996 and 29.7 per cent (1.95 million hectares) by 2010.

“Between 1960 and 2010, Sri Lanka lost 947,370 hectares of forest,” Chamikara said. “In the past 14 years, extensive deforestation has been driven by ill-conceived national development plans. Large-scale projects, such as the Yan Oya Irrigation Scheme (15,000 acres), the Moragahakanda and Kaluganga Multipurpose Irrigation Projects (25,000 acres), and infrastructure developments in Hambantota—including the Magampura Port, Mattala Airport, and the Southern Expressway—have collectively cleared over 25,000 acres of forests. Additionally, post-war resettlement and unregulated land use for tourism, development projects, and high-security zones have led to the clearance of approximately 17,800 acres of forest. The ongoing Lower Malwathu Oya Irrigation Project has resulted in another 10,000 acres being cleared.”

Chamikara added that government agencies, such as the Forest Department and the Mahaweli Authority, have allocated significant forest tracts to commercial enterprises and agribusinesses, further diminishing wildlife habitats and increasing encroachments into farmlands.

According to Chinthaka Rajapakshe, moderator of MONLAR, the roots of Sri Lanka’s commercial agriculture date back to the British colonial era, beginning with coffee cultivation. Although the Dutch had experimented with coffee in 1740, large-scale plantations were established by the British in 1833. By 1860, Sri Lanka was a leading coffee producer, with plantations covering 275,000 acres by 1870. However, coffee crops were devastated by fungal diseases, leading to the rise of tea cultivation in 1867.

“Today, tea plantations span 221,969 hectares, significantly encroaching upon upland and lowland wet forests. Rubber cultivation followed, beginning in 1876 in Gampaha, and now extends across 133,668 hectares. Other commercial crops, such as sugarcane and maize, have expanded rapidly, often replacing traditional mixed-crop systems, reducing biodiversity, and displacing wildlife,” Rajapakshe said.

Smallholder farmers have faced numerous challenges due to the expansion of large-scale commercial agriculture. These include dependency on agrochemical and seed companies, water scarcity, displacement through land-use policies favouring corporate interests, post-harvest losses, and difficulties in marketing produce. Additionally, farmers grapple with fluctuating crop prices, exploitation by market monopolies, and competition from imported goods.

“While wildlife conflicts are an issue, they represent only a fraction of the systemic challenges affecting agriculture. Sustainable agricultural solutions must address these underlying causes rather than focusing solely on wildlife as pests. Destroying wildlife is not a sustainable solution. Instead, we must acknowledge their ecological importance and adopt biodiversity-focused strategies. A shift from a human-centric perspective to an ecologically balanced approach is essential for ensuring the coexistence of humans and wildlife while fostering sustainable farming practices,” he said.