Increasing Human-Elephant Conflict and Coexistence Breakdown in the Minneriya-Elahera Region Caused by the Moragahakanda Reservoir Project

Sammanfattning

This study aims to understand the changes in socio-ecological relationships and the resulting increase in human–elephant conflict (HEC) that occurred in the Minneriya–Elahera area of Sri Lanka due to the implementation of the Moragahakanda Reservoir Project. The objective of the research is to understand the ecological, livelihood and governance effects of irrigation expansion and landscape change in the dry-zone region. The theoretical approach to the study is drawn from socio-ecological systems theory, political ecology and convivial conservation approaches. The research focused on the lived and lived-as experience of shifts in human–elephant relations in the local community, conservation officers, tourism operators, and project officials. Qualitative research method was used with semi structured interview, field observation and document analysis as the primary data collection techniques. The results indicate that habitat fragmentation and agricultural expansion, elephant corridor disruption, and poor institutional coordination exacerbated human-elephant conflict. The study also reveals that the current mitigation measures are still reactive and inadequate to tackle the long-term socio-ecological drivers of HEC. Based on this, the study suggests an Integrated Coexistence Governance Approach (ICGA) that focuses on institutional coordination, protection of ecological corridors, community involvement, adaptive governance and land-use planning for coexistence. The study concludes that for sustainable coexistence in dry-zone landscapes in Sri Lanka, governance systems must be able to control shared socio-ecological landscapes, and not only wildlife.