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1. Saving Elephants by Helping People (SEHP) – Is a mutli-faceted holistic approach to elephant conservation that combines HEC Resolution, Capacity Building, Economic Development, Research and Tourism to protect the ecosystem in Central Sri Lanka.
Our SEHP project is continually developing from the lessons we learn from the area, from our other surveys and projects and from the experience of fellow researchers and conservation groups.
We have initiated two projects which look at reducing the risk factors of rural communities and are using our Wasgamuwa and other SEHP project sites to carry out pilot projects and surveys. We are looking at insurance to protect farmers from crop/home loss by elephant raids and “Project Orange Elephant” which is growing citrus plants both as an economic and physical buffer to the economic loss caused by elephant raids.
FMI see www.slwcs.org/projects/sehp
a. Wasgamuwa
The SEHP project began in the Wasgamuwa area in 1997. It integrates ecological research, applied conservation, community participation, community development and sustainable economic development. It was the first community based elephant conservation and research project in Sri Lanka. Since 2004 we have been integrating responsible travel initiatives to make our projects sustainable over the long term as well as to develop economic incentives for the local people at our project sites to support as well as benefit from our wildlife conservation efforts. We have teamed up with Earthwatch Institute, Global Vision International, Travellers Worldwide, and World Wide Experience to bring paying international volunteers to our projects in Wasgamuwa.
FMI http://www.slwcs.org/volunteer
The government of Sri Lanka has embarked on the final phase of an irrigation development project which has already caused much destruction of forest and necessitated the movement of over 100,000 people since it’s inception in the 1980’s. The study area lies in the center of our pioneering Wasgamuwa project and we are well poised to help the government and local communities minimize the negative impacts in the medium and long term while ensuring that necessary sustainable development takes place.
FMI www.slwcs.org/projects/mg&kg
b. Somawathiya Chaitiya National Park
Phase One was building an electric fence to avoid the eventual conflict that would have resulted between the increasing number of pilgrims and elephants. The Somawathiya Chaitiya temple is 2300 years old and is one of Sri Lanka's oldest temples, lying just north of the Polonnaruwa Archeological/UNESCO World Heritage site and is situated in the middle of a national park, which consists of prime elephant habitat. At this truly unique site we have built an elephant friendly fence, which does not prevent the elephants from moving in and around the temple premises and Chaitiya (stupa) but prevents them from harming pilgrims and temple property. We have launched Phase Two of the project which is building a sustainable eco-tourism center, initiating an archeological research dig in the area, an intensive elephant ecology research project and biodiversity and socio-economic surveys of the area and the adjoining Flood Plains National Park.
FMI www.slwcs.org/projects/somawathie
c. Lahugala:
We have initiated a project at the request of the Department of Wildlife Conservation to resolve human elephant conflict at one of Sri Lanka's smallest national parks (1,500 hectares) but have one of the largest populations of elephants numbering over 250. Lahugala will be the culminating point of all the experiences we have gained from our community-based HEC resolution projects. We are bringing together for the first time in Sri Lanka the national government officers: Divisional Secretary, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Grama Niladharis (village headmen); the Police Department; Provincial Administrators: Provincial Council officers and members; Local: villagers and village level societies to develop a HEC resolution project.
Additionally we will be working with the community to reforest nearly 3,000 acres of cleared primary jungle that was felled illegally. We are looking for opportunities to get international attention to the effort of these villagers to save their forests. We consider this project to be one of the most important projects we will be supporting in the new millennium.
We will be initiating a study of the Human Elephant (other wildlife) Conflict levels and doing base-line surveys to support the Wildlife Departments proposals to establish “elephant corridors” and dual use areas in between the Southern Yala/Kumana, Lahugala and Galoya/Ampara Protected Areas through Forest Department and GA Forests in the Eastern Province.
FMI www.slwcs.org/projects/lahugala
2.Wetland Conservation Project (WCP): Is developing working plans and conducting long term research based conservation of wetland areas.
We have been conducting socio-economic and biodiversity baseline studies in three important and distinct wetlands around the country. Through the wetlands project which is partially funded by the IUCN Netherlands Committee we have prepared working plans for Attidiya/Bellanwilla urban marsh, completed the first socio-economic survey of Flood Plains National Park since the 1970’s and completed a socio-economic and biodiversity assessment of the Kalpitiya-Karaitive-Puttalam Coastal Wetland Complex (KKP). SLWCS is considered by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) as an integral partner in its Wetland Database Project under the Central Environmental Authority (CEA).
FMI see www.slwcs.org/projects/wcp
As a result of this study we have launched a program to study the avifauna and marine/terrestrial biodiversity in the "At Risk" KKP area in the Puttalam district, North-Western Province. Over 250 species of birds are found here during the winter season (October to March). It is at risk as it is earmarked for major tourism development and is little studied even though the Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary lies just west of the area.
FMI see www.slwcs.org/projects/kalpitiya
As an alternative site to the degraded urban Bellanwilla-Attidiya wetland where SLWCS proposed a conservation program in 1997 (www.slwcs.org/projects/bellanwilla), SLWCS has been studying the Bandaragama wetland complex around the Bolgoda lakes in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. The area is only 1hour away from Central Colombo and initial indications are that it would be an ideal site to develop as an urban wetland for education and intrinsic value.
FMI see www.slwcs.org/projects/bandaragama
3. Pooping Ghost: Remote Camera Trapping of Leopards in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
Recently conflicts with leopards have also been on the increase. Due to encroachment, loss of habitat and reduced prey densities leopards are been forced into marginal habitats near human habitations. They find livestock easy to prey on. So it has become imperative that we gather data about this illusive carnivore to develop a sustainable conservation strategy and compensation scheme to ensure its tolerance by local communities.
FMI www.slwcs.org/projects/leopard
4. Coastal Conservation by Helping People Project (CCHP):
During the societies surveys of Tsunami damage on the South-Eastern coast of Sri Lanka we found a community which was not impacted due to it conserving the sand dunes along the coastline despite pressure from mineral companies. The people in the area want to work with the society to conserve both the marine resources (turtles, whales, dolphins, fisheries and reefs) and terrestrial resources despite loss of crops by wild elephant raids. This site allows SLWCS to bring together it’s expertise in community driven conservation of a site which has all the elements which SLWCS has studied including elephants and wetlands.
Currently the SLWCS is in the international forum established by the IUCN International and the Special Envoy to the United Nations to develop the Mangroves for the Future initiative.
FMI see www.slwcs.org/projects/cchp
5. Establishment of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Censing (RS) Center:
The purpose of developing SLWCS’ RS/GIS capacity is to further our knowledge of the dynamics of the ecosystems in which we work so that it can be used to enhance our understanding of the conservation challenges we face. We will then use the resultant model/outputs for effective planning at a local, regional and national level.
FMI see gis.slwcs.org
6. Computers to Rural Areas project
Computers are an essential tool for the development of rural communities who are dependent on the natural resources that both affect them and are most affected by them. A thorough knowledge of computer applications gives villagers the ability to make their farming and search for markets more efficient, the ability to join the skilled workforce and the tools to launch micro-enterprises from their locality. SLWCS in partnership with Lanka Academic Network (LacNET) donates computers to rural schools and hopes to establish computer centers in rural areas.
FMI see www.slwcs.org/projects/computers
PLANNED PROJECTS AND SURVEYS
Coral Restoration:
We are working with a dive shop owner and conservationist in the Hikkaduwa Marine Sanctuary area to establish a coral replanting program that is low cost and seems to be very effective in restoring damaged coral reefs -this is one outcome from the Tsunami ecological assessment we did with the Nature Conservancy at the request of the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka.
Trans-Climatic Zone National Park
Based on our work in the Wasgamuwa area, Floodplains National Park, Somawathie and the surrounding areas we have realized the need to look at a multi-pronged project involving and not excluding communities to protect the environment from the watershed of the Mahewelli in the central hills to the Wetland system it creates in the East coast.
COMPLETED PROJECTS AND SURVEYS
NWR HEC Survey
GIS Based Socio-Economic assessment of Human Elephant Conflict in the Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Kurunagala districts of Sri Lanka. This has produced a village level GIS perspective of the problem which then helps in designing research-based management plans. The information gathered from here has been used to establish Project Orange Elephant and is being used to establish a long-term conservation management plan through microfinance
FMI www.slwcs.org/reports/nwr
Tsunami Assessments
The SLWCS was one of the organizations that was appointed to a seven-member committee by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) to conduct the first official ecological assessment of all the protected areas impacted by the tsunami of 2004. One year after, the SLWCS was again requested by the DWC to conduct a re-assessment of the same areas to assess how well the impacted ecosystems were recovering from the effects of the tsunami. The SLWCS conducted both the assessments in partnership with the Nature Conservancy.
FMI www.slwcs.org/reports
Tsunami Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Providing fishing boats, engines and fishing gear to Tsunami displaced fishermen in the Yala Handiya village and empowering displaced women with financial support to establish small businesses. This project is in partnership with Abercrombie and Kent Global Foundation.
FMI www.slwcs.org/reports
GRANTS
1. Rural Schools Environmental Education
We provided a grant to the Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust to carry out awareness programs in rural schools to give them an appreciation for there natural surroundings and to work with them to help in the long term conservation of these areas.
FMI www.slwcs.org/grants/schools.html
2. Leopard Study
We provided a grant for a study of the leopards in and around Yala National Park in Southern Sri Lanka and subsequently helped expand this project.
FMI www.slwcs.org/grants/leopard |
