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TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
WELLBEING OF SELECTED VADDA COMMUNITIES IN SRI LANKA
Presentation by Inter-agency Working Group on the 'Livelihood
Recovery of Traditional Forest-
dwelling Communities of Sri Lanka
UNDP Regional Initiative on Indigenous Peoples Rights and
Development (RIPP)
Regional Dialogue on Natural Resource Management10-14 November
2007, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Traditional forest-dwelling communities, once largely dependent
on forest resources for their
livelihoods, currently suffer extreme poverty as a result of
imposed mainstream forces, e.g.
modern development schemes, Protected Area (PA) management and
conservation policies. Theenforced adaptation to mainstream
scenarios has adversely affected the once free spirited forest
dependent Vadda people, their traditional lifeways and cultural
values.
One key livelihood transition has been the adoption of sedentary
agricultural practices. This shift
has led to an increased dependency on external inputs, e.g.
chemical fertilisers and pesticides,
and has restricted access to seasonal water sources. As a
result, the traditional livelihood
strategies which helped to preserve forest resources are being
eroded.
The price the Vadda people have paid is high. They face undue
pressures and struggle to
maintain livelihood security. The loss of traditional values, in
exchange for material
aspirations influenced by external economic, socio-cultural and
religious influences
is distinctly evident.
The Inter-agency Working Group on the 'Livelihood Recovery
of
Traditional/Indigenous Forest-dwelling People (IWGLRIP-
2005) was established to develop partnerships with
forest
dwelling communities. The Working Group committee,
facilitated by UNDP/GEF-SGP, is comprised of
representatives from the Biodiversity Secretariat of the
Ministry of Environment, the Centre for Eco-cultural
Studies (CES), operating as the joint secretariat, and The
Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC). The Working
Group's main objective is to facilitate the recovery of
forest
livelihoods and to preserve associated traditional knowledge
systems. The process will be carried forward through
negotiations between stakeholders for proactive change, in
order
to overcome the barriers the forest communities presently face
in
relation to interacting with their natural environment.
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In spirit of the International Decade for Indigenous Peoples,
developments for the establishment of
the National Traditional Knowledge Policy (NPTK) were set in
motion (2003). The NPKP, and itsth
associated strategies, were finally declared on 9 august 2007, a
day recognised internationally for
the celebration of indigenous peoples. Pre-existing policies,
such as the National Biodiversity
Action Plan and National Forest Policy, already highlighted the
importance of preserving
traditional knowledge practices and their associate communities.
However, the NPTK exists as a
government policy solely dedicated to the promotion and
facilitation of traditional knowledge, and
to the maintenance of the eco-cultural well being of indigenous
communities that have nurtured
such wisdoms for thousands of years.
The proposed strategy and implementation mechanism for the
NPTK:
Facilitation of required policy changes to promote the 'living
traditions' of traditional forest
communities.Establishment of a Joint Secretariat and
Implementation Committee for the Inter-agency
Working Group established.
Preparation of a work plan for the pilot programme through a
participatory approach.
Preparation of a model community participatory mechanism.
Establishment of a long-term financial investment plan for the
forest Vadda community
livelihood recovery programme.
Minimising conflicts of interest between Protected Area (PA)
managers and forest people.
Minimising the adverse effects of community dependency as a
result of PA's.
Establishing 'eco cultural' villages as an alternative to the
free-spiritedness and foodinsecurities faced by the forest
people.
Recovery of traditional livelihoods for forest dwelling
communities living in the peripheries of
PA s, by way of improved natural resource access.
To establish a documenting system for traditional knowledge.
Empowering and enhancing the skills and capacities of local
communities.
Setting up a mechanism for equitable-sharing of benefits from
PA's and bio-prospecting.
Establishing a local market for the sale of community
products.
Establishing a community interpretation programme on traditional
cultures and up-scaling
existing facilities.Setting-up a micro-financing programme for
re-acquiring mortgaged properties.
Raising awareness of social issues, e.g. communicable diseases
and gender relations.
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We would welcome your comments and suggestionsDirector
Biodiversity Secretariat
Ministry of Environment, "Parisara Piyasa'
104, Robert Gunawardene Mawatha, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
Email: [email protected]
Coordinating Secretary
Centre for Eco-cultural Studies (CES)
PO Box 03, Diyakapilla, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
U N
PD
Programme implementation
The traditional Vadda communities summarised below are the
selected
beneficiaries of the 5 year programme for Phase 1. Ratugala
serves as the pilot
programme for implementation over a two-year period from Aug
2007 onwards.
(1) Ratugala: environs of Gal Oya Forest Reserve (Monaragala
District)
(2) Pollebadda: environs of Nuvaragala Forest Reserve (Ampara
District)
(3) Dambana: environs of Maduru Oya National Park (Badulla
District)
(4) Henanigala: environs of Maduru Oya National Park (Ampara
District)
(5) Gallinda, Rotavava and Minneriya: environs of Sigiriya
wildlife sanctuary,
Minneriya-Giritale Nature Reserve and Minneriya-Giritale
National Park(Polonnaruva District)
(6) Dimbulagala and environs: environs of Flood Plains National
Park and
Vasgomuva National Park (Polonnaruva District)
(7) Panama: environs of Kumana wildlife sanctuary, Yala National
Park; and
Lahugala-Kitulana National Park (Monaragala District)
