National human-elephant coexistence plan launched

Colombo, July 4 (Daily Mirror) - The Environment Ministry has launched a national programme to prepare a new National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Coexistence under a Cabinet-approved expert committee.

The initiative follows concerns that Sri Lanka's existing National Action Plan for the Mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict (2020) no longer adequately reflects current ground realities, as human-elephant conflict has continued to evolve over the past five years.

The decision follows a series of discussions held at the Presidential Secretariat, where the need for a new, science-based and practical strategy was identified.

The expert committee comprises leading wildlife scientists and environmentalists, including Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando, Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, Dr. U.K.G.K. Padmalal and Dr. S. Wijemohan.

According to the Ministry, the committee will formulate evidence-based recommendations and practical strategies that can be legally implemented to address human-elephant conflict while ensuring the long-term conservation of Sri Lanka's wild elephant population.

The committee is expected to submit the completed national action plan to the President within the next three months.