We conducted our research in Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, in Sri Lanka including the four villages Thimbolpitiya, Thaligamyaya, Saligama, Panahaduwa closed to Udawalawe National Park.
Before the designation of Udawalawa as a national park, the area was used for shifting cultivation (chena farming). The farmers were gradually removed once the national park was declared. Udawalawe is an important habitat for water birds and Sri Lankan Elephants. It is a popular tourist destination and the third most visited park in the country.
We conducted discussions with not only the experts in this field but also the farmers in this area. We used Hand held GPS to map the housing locations and the damage places. This was very useful to identify the distance between the housing locations and the forest boundary and existing electric fence.
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mapping the housing locations and the damage places using GPS. |
Interviewing the villagers. |
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