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2023-07-02Author
Köpke, SörenWithanachchi, Sisira SaddhamangalaPathiranage, RuwanWithanachchi, Chandana RohanaGamage Name, Deepika UdayakanthiNissanka, Thushantha S.Warapitiya, Chinthana ChathurangaNissanka, Banu MadhurathaChinthake Perera, E. N.Schleyer, ChristianThiel, AndreasSubject
550 Earth sciences and geology 570 Life sciences; biology 590 Animals; zoology Sri LankaElefantenTierschutzNaturschutzverwaltungKonfliktMetadata
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Aufsatz
Human‑elephant conflict in the Sri Lankan dry zone: investigating social and geographical drivers through field‑based methods
Abstract
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sri Lanka has escalated over the recent years, with, on average, 300 elephant deaths annually and human casualties of around 90 per year. Employing field-based qualitative methods, this contribution identifies causes and contexts of human-elephant conflict in those parts of the Sri Lankan dry zone most severely affected. We have used field observations as well as semi-structured interviews with experts and affected villagers as primary data collection techniques. The findings show that (a) human-elephant conflicts are the result of land-use decisions, encroachment on elephant corridors, changes in agricultural production systems, and commercialization of land, and that (b) there is a deep division between the environmental knowledge and practices of rural people and the conservation governance provided by government authorities. Furthermore, both traditional and modern mitigation approaches fail to reign in HEC effectively. The insufficient implementation of HEC mitigation measures, and a severe disconnect between the needs and anxieties of rural people and conservation policies, render the management of human-wildlife interactions ineffective. This suggests a need for fundamental reform of elephant conservation policy in Sri Lanka.
Citation
In: GeoJournal Volume 88 / issue 5 (2023-07-02) eissn:1572-9893Sponsorship
Gefördert im Rahmen des Projekts DEALCitation
@article{doi:10.17170/kobra-202310188876,
author={Köpke, Sören and Withanachchi, Sisira Saddhamangala and Pathiranage, Ruwan and Withanachchi, Chandana Rohana and Gamage Name, Deepika Udayakanthi and Nissanka, Thushantha S. and Warapitiya, Chinthana Chathuranga and Nissanka, Banu Madhuratha and Chinthake Perera, E. N. and Schleyer, Christian and Thiel, Andreas},
title={Human‑elephant conflict in the Sri Lankan dry zone: investigating social and geographical drivers through field‑based methods},
journal={GeoJournal},
year={2023}
}
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2023-10-18T15:38:48Z 2023-10-18T15:38:48Z 2023-07-02 doi:10.17170/kobra-202310188876 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/15116 Gefördert im Rahmen des Projekts DEAL eng Namensnennung 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Human-elephant conflict Elephant conservation Conservation governance Sri Lankan biodiversity Environmental subjectivity 550 570 590 Human‑elephant conflict in the Sri Lankan dry zone: investigating social and geographical drivers through field‑based methods Aufsatz Human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sri Lanka has escalated over the recent years, with, on average, 300 elephant deaths annually and human casualties of around 90 per year. Employing field-based qualitative methods, this contribution identifies causes and contexts of human-elephant conflict in those parts of the Sri Lankan dry zone most severely affected. We have used field observations as well as semi-structured interviews with experts and affected villagers as primary data collection techniques. The findings show that (a) human-elephant conflicts are the result of land-use decisions, encroachment on elephant corridors, changes in agricultural production systems, and commercialization of land, and that (b) there is a deep division between the environmental knowledge and practices of rural people and the conservation governance provided by government authorities. Furthermore, both traditional and modern mitigation approaches fail to reign in HEC effectively. The insufficient implementation of HEC mitigation measures, and a severe disconnect between the needs and anxieties of rural people and conservation policies, render the management of human-wildlife interactions ineffective. This suggests a need for fundamental reform of elephant conservation policy in Sri Lanka. open access Köpke, Sören Withanachchi, Sisira Saddhamangala Pathiranage, Ruwan Withanachchi, Chandana Rohana Gamage Name, Deepika Udayakanthi Nissanka, Thushantha S. Warapitiya, Chinthana Chathuranga Nissanka, Banu Madhuratha Chinthake Perera, E. N. Schleyer, Christian Thiel, Andreas 20 Seiten doi:10.1007/s10708-023-10913-7 Sri Lanka Elefanten Tierschutz Naturschutzverwaltung Konflikt publishedVersion eissn:1572-9893 issue 5 GeoJournal Volume 88 false
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