A Legacy of Land Disputes: The History of Encroachment
The struggle to maintain the integrity of Sri Lanka’s protected areas is rooted in a complex historical narrative that spans nearly a century. The foundational legal framework for these areas, the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO) No. 2 of 1937, came into operation in 1938, yet the demarcation of boundaries has remained a contentious and evolving process. According to Srinath Dissanayake, a wildlife ranger with the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), the most significant challenges to park boundaries occurred during the colonial era and the subsequent decades of internal instability.
The end of the three-decade armed conflict in May 2009 marked a turning point for conservation in the Northern and Eastern provinces. During the war, many protected areas in these regions lacked formal administrative presence. It was only between 1980 and 1990, and more robustly after 2009, that DWC offices were established in these zones. However, the vacuum created by the conflict allowed for significant human settlement and agricultural expansion.
In the post-war era, the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) became a humanitarian priority that often clashed with environmental preservation. In Wilpattu National Park, the country’s largest and oldest protected area, the construction of housing schemes and new roads led to substantial deforestation. While the DWC has secured various eviction orders and reclaimed portions of commercialized land, officials acknowledge that reclaiming land does not immediately restore biodiversity. Forest regeneration in former agricultural lands is a slow, multi-decadal process that requires active management rather than passive protection.
The Ecological Shift: Shrinking Grasslands and Scrub Invasion
While human encroachment is a visible threat, a more subtle ecological transformation is occurring within the boundaries of the parks themselves. A seminal 2021 study evaluating habitat coverage in Udawalawe National Park from 2005 to 2019 revealed a concerning trend: forest and scrub habitats are increasing at the expense of grasslands.
Senior Professor Mayuri Wijesinghe of the University of Colombo notes that this is largely a result of natural succession. Without active management, open grasslands naturally evolve into scrubland and eventually into dry zone forests. For Sri Lanka’s megaherbivores, this shift is catastrophic. Elephants, whose diets consist of 60% to 70% grass, rely on these open spaces for sustenance. When grasslands disappear, these animals are forced to venture outside park boundaries into village cultivation areas, directly fueling the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC), which claims hundreds of human and elephant lives annually.
The 2024 audit report on grassland conservation further highlighted that invasive alien species and the unauthorized entry of domestic cattle are accelerating the degradation of these vital feeding grounds. Cattle ranches operating illegally within national parks not only compete for food but also introduce risks of disease transmission to wild ungulate populations.
The Impending El Niño and Climate Vulnerability
As the calendar turns toward November, the Department of Meteorology and international climate agencies have signaled the arrival of an El Niño event. For Sri Lanka’s dry zone, which houses the majority of the island’s national parks, this typically translates to suppressed rainfall and extreme heat.
Environmentalist Palitha Wickramaratne emphasizes that while droughts are cyclical—with major events recorded in 2001, 2012, and 2016—the intensity of modern heatwaves is placing immense stress on wildlife. In Yala National Park, located in the deep south, the availability of water is a life-or-death issue. Historically, the Menik Ganga Diversion project and the construction of the Weheragala Reservoir in 2005 were intended to stabilize water levels in the region. However, small water bodies like Heen Wewa and Gonagala Wewa often dry up completely during prolonged droughts.
During the 2016 drought, the DWC and volunteer groups were forced to intervene by transporting water via bowsers to fill parched natural tanks. As the next dry spell approaches, there are calls to close Block I of Yala National Park—the most visited sector—to minimize tourist vehicle disturbance, allowing animals to move freely toward remaining water sources without the stress of human presence.
The Economic Stakes of Wildlife Conservation
The health of Sri Lanka’s national parks is inextricably linked to the national economy. In 2025, the island welcomed nearly 2.4 million visitors, generating approximately $3.2 billion in tourism revenue. Wildlife remains a primary pillar of this industry.
A 2022 study by sustainability professional Srilal Miththapala estimated the economic value of a single wild elephant at approximately 4.5 million Sri Lankan rupees ($27,000) per year based on tourism contributions. When an elephant is lost to HEC or drought, it represents not just a biological loss, but a significant blow to the rural economy and the national treasury. Despite this, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka does not yet independently track the specific contribution of wildlife tourism, a data gap that conservationists argue leads to the underfunding of the DWC.
Balancing Science and Survival: The Official Response
Ranjan Marasinghe, Director General of the DWC, maintains a perspective rooted in ecological balance. While acknowledging the severity of El Niño, he argues that nature must be allowed to take its course to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Marasinghe notes that droughts serve as a mechanism for natural selection, ensuring that only the hardiest individuals survive to pass on their genes.
"Wild animals develop a ruggedness during drought conditions that is required to strike a balance in the ecosystem," Marasinghe stated. He pointed to the wild buffalo populations, which are naturally thinned out during dry periods due to competition for resources, preventing overgrazing when the rains return.
However, the DWC is not remaining entirely passive. The department has prepared a multi-pronged strategy for the coming months:
- Infrastructure Readiness: Repairing and maintaining solar-powered water pumps and irrigation systems within the parks.
- Anti-Poaching Patrols: Increasing ranger presence by August to combat illegal activities, as animals congregating around limited water holes become easy targets for poachers.
- Habitat Management: Exploring prescribed burning and invasive species removal to maintain the remaining grasslands.
Chronology of Conservation Challenges in Sri Lanka
- 1937-1938: Enactment and implementation of the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance.
- 1950s-1960s: Initial waves of major land encroachments due to agricultural expansion.
- 1983-2009: Armed conflict limits DWC access to Northern and Eastern parks, leading to unmonitored land use.
- 2005: Completion of the Weheragala Reservoir to manage water in the Yala-Kataragama ecosystem.
- 2009-2015: Rapid post-war resettlement and infrastructure development in Wilpattu and surrounding areas.
- 2016: Severe drought necessitates emergency water bowser interventions in southern parks.
- 2021: Research confirms significant loss of grasslands in Udawalawe due to scrub invasion.
- 2024: National Audit Office releases a critical report on the failure to protect grasslands.
- 2025 (Projected): El Niño impact expected to peak, testing the resilience of the DWC’s drought management plans.
Implications for the Future
The current crisis in Sri Lanka’s national parks is a microcosm of the global struggle between development and conservation. As the island faces a warmer, more volatile climate, the traditional "set it and forget it" approach to protected areas is no longer viable.
If grasslands continue to revert to scrubland, the HEC will likely intensify, leading to higher mortality rates for both humans and elephants. If encroachment in the North and East is not halted through strict legal enforcement and clear boundary demarcation, the remaining forest corridors will be severed, isolating gene pools and leading to the long-term decline of the leopard and other apex predators.
The impending El Niño serves as a catalyst for a much-needed conversation on active habitat management. Whether through the controversial method of prescribed burning or the logistical challenge of closing parks to tourists during climate extremes, the survival of Sri Lanka’s wildlife depends on a shift from reactive crisis management to proactive ecological stewardship. As the heat rises in November, the world will be watching to see if the Pearl of the Indian Ocean can protect the wild treasures that define its identity and sustain its economy.
