By Ifham Nizam

The government has launched a fresh national drive to tackle Sri Lanka’s long-standing human-elephant conflict (HEC), with a strong emphasis on restoring elephant corridors, establishing elephant enrichment zones and strengthening community participation as part of a new National Action Plan.

The National Action Plan Monitoring Committee met in Parliament yesterday under the co-chairmanship of Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi and Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody, bringing together Members of Parliament from high-conflict districts, senior government officials, wildlife authorities and administrators to chart a long-term strategy to reduce one of the country’s most pressing conservation and socio-economic challenges.

The initiative comes amid growing concern over the continued loss of human lives, elephant deaths and escalating damage to crops and property caused by the conflict.

Environment Ministry Advisor Dr. Ravindra Kariyawasam told The Island that the new action plan would move beyond ad hoc responses and instead adopt a science-based, community-driven approach built on updated field data.

“The previous National Action Plan was prepared in 2020. Much has changed since then. Elephant movement patterns, forest cover and land-use practices have all evolved over the past five years. Therefore, the country urgently needs a revised strategy based on current scientific evidence and practical realities,” Dr. Kariyawasam said.

He said one of the central pillars of the new strategy would be restoring traditional elephant migratory routes that have been blocked by unplanned development and human encroachment.

“Clearing elephant corridors and protecting these movement routes are critical if we are to reduce encounters between elephants and people. At the same time, we are looking at establishing elephant enrichment zones that will improve habitat quality within forests and reduce pressure on surrounding villages and farmlands,” he said.

Dr. Kariyawasam noted that community participation would be a key component of the programme, as sustainable solutions could not be achieved through enforcement measures alone.

“We want local communities to become active partners in managing the conflict. Their knowledge, participation and ownership are essential if conservation measures are to succeed over the long term,” he added.

According to the Ministry, discussions at the Parliamentary committee also focused on improving the implementation of laws governing Managed Elephant Reserves and strengthening the operational capacity of the Department of Wildlife Conservation by providing additional human and physical resources.

The Government has already commenced several immediate interventions while the comprehensive action plan is being finalised. These include removing obstructions along traditional elephant corridors and establishing elephant enrichment zones under the national “Wanaspathi” programme.

Officials said the decision to formulate a new action plan followed a series of high-level discussions chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during which concern was expressed over the increasing fragmentation of elephant habitats caused by rapid population growth, deforestation and unplanned development projects.

With Cabinet approval, a National Expert Committee comprising leading environmental specialists was appointed to prepare the updated strategy.

Dr. Kariyawasam said the Government’s objective was to replace short-term interventions with an integrated management framework that balances biodiversity conservation with the safety and livelihoods of rural communities.

“The ultimate goal is peaceful coexistence between people and elephants. That requires scientific planning, habitat restoration, effective law enforcement and sustained public participation rather than temporary solutions,” he said.