A Realistic  Plan To Curb Rising Human-Elephant Conflict & Deaths

Networking of elephant habitats

Launch a national initiative to map and connect all elephant habitats across the country. This should include properties governed by the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance.

Re-establishing electric fences to link habitats

Remove all existing electric fences that currently fragment elephant habitats and protected areas. Reconstruct and realign these fences to create interconnected corridors that enable elephant movement between habitats.

Install strong electric fences at strategic points

Following the mapping of all elephant habitats, identify specific entry points where elephants frequently enter villages and farmlands. At these vulnerable locations, construct durable, hanging, or double-layered electric fences designed to withstand pressure and effectively prevent incursions.

Set up biological barriers to reinforce fences

Develop natural buffer zones alongside electric fences by planting species such as juniper, lime, cactus, and palm trees. These biological barriers will strengthen the effectiveness of fences, provide additional deterrence, and promote ecological balance while maintaining open corridors that connect elephant habitats.

Remove unsafe and irregular electric fences

After mapping all existing electric fences, particularly those erected by private companies and large-scale landowners, dismantle any unsafe, irregular, or unauthorised structures. Such fences often obstruct elephant movement and contribute to conflict, and their removal is vital to re-establishing safe habitat connectivity.

Set up a legal framework for electric fence installation

Introduce an amendment to the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance or enact a dedicated law governing the installation and regulation of electric fences.

The legislation should require prior approval from the Department of Wildlife Conservation for all new or replacement fences and define clear standards for design and safety.

It should also empower the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Ceylon Electricity Board, and officers designated by Divisional Secretaries to inspect, monitor, and enforce compliance across all electric fencing systems.

Construction of tunnels and bridges as elephant crossings

Tunnels or overpasses should be built in areas with frequent elephant accidents, including highways and railway lines intersecting elephant corridors. Obstacles that disrupt elephant movement should be removed, and electric fences can be used to guide elephants safely through these designated crossings. These zones can also be developed as eco-tourism attractions, providing safety and educational opportunities.

Legalisation and declaration of elephant corridors

All elephant corridors identified and mapped by the Department of Wildlife Conservation should be reviewed and updated. A national program should be implemented to ensure all corridors are opened and legally recognised through gazette notifications. Activities that obstruct elephant movement must be amended in the legal framework of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

Elimination of garbage dumps near elephant habitats

Large-scale garbage dumps that attract elephants, operated by Local Government institutions in 54 Dry Zone locations near elephant habitats, should be removed. Priority should be given to supporting local authorities in implementing proper waste management projects to prevent elephants from foraging in these areas.

Prevent cattle and buffalo grazing in protected forests

The introduction of domestic cattle and buffalo herds into protected forests — designated as core elephant habitats by the Wildlife and Forest Conservation Departments — should be strictly prohibited. Existing herds should be gradually relocated to designated grazing areas, with Divisional Secretariat-level facilities set up for proper animal management.

 Removal of invasive plant species

A national program should be launched to gradually remove invasive species which have overtaken elephant feeding grounds. Restoration of native elephant food plants should follow to ensure habitat health and sustainability.

Convert forest plantations into grasslands

Non-native plantations, including teak, acacia, kaya, mahogany, and Ipil Ipil, within the protected areas and elephant sanctuaries should be gradually removed. These areas should be restored as natural grasslands to provide adequate foraging grounds for elephants and support the overall ecological balance of their habitats.

 Renovation of tank systems in elephant habitats

Abandoned and damaged small tank systems within elephant habitats should be renovated and maintained as permanent water sources to support elephants and local ecosystems.

Removal of illegal cultivation in protected forests

Raids conducted jointly by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Conservation Department, Special Task Force, Sri Lanka Police, Excise Department, and other authorities should be intensified to remove all unauthorised cultivation in elephant habitats. Resources and facilities should be strengthened to ensure effective enforcement.

Halt mining activities in elephant habitats

Soil, sand, granite, and gem mining within protected forests that serve as elephant habitats must be completely stopped.

Review and reform development strategies

Current development strategies under the National Physical Plan, which have exacerbated human-elephant conflict, should be halted. A new National Physical Plan should be formulated and implemented, prioritising biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and community needs.

 Promote multi-crop Farming instead of commercial conversion

Farmers should be encouraged to convert Yala-season rice fields — which are currently used as elephant grazing grounds — into multi-crop systems while maintaining permanent single-crop maize and sugarcane cultivation during the Maha season. This will reduce conflicts while supporting agricultural productivity.

Restrict Mahaweli Zone land transfers to companies

Allocation of Mahaweli Zone lands for large-scale commercial farming or solar power projects to private companies should be stopped. Land should be provided only to local farmers, with legal mechanisms preventing transfer to companies, thereby safeguarding elephant habitats and preventing illegal encroachment.

Prevent leasing of elephant habitat

Government forest lands used for hemp cultivation or leased to private businesses within elephant habitats should be reclaimed and reconnected to protected areas. Legislation should be enforced to prevent further illegal leasing and protect these critical habitats.

Public awareness on elephant-compatible agriculture

A national program should educate communities on sustainable agricultural practices that respect elephant habitats, including watershed and water conservation, rainfall patterns, and biennial cultivation. It should emphasise that human-elephant conflicts cannot be solved by driving away or killing elephants.

Set up an Elephant Conservation Fund

A dedicated Elephant Conservation Fund should be created to finance a ten-year national elephant conservation program.

Set up a National Land Commission and formulate a national land policy

Under the 13th Amendment, a National Land Commission should be established with a technical secretariat representing all disciplines to evaluate socio-economic and environmental factors. The Commission should formulate a National Land Policy based on technical criteria — such as soil, climate, rainfall, erosion, forest cover, and economic suitability — rather than political or ethnic considerations. Provincial Councils should implement land-use decisions in alignment with this policy, helping to prevent human-elephant conflict arising from mismanaged land use.

The writer is a member of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform.