A webinar was held on 27th January 2022, to showcase successful private sector-led efforts in contributing towards protecting critically important ecosystems through a livelihood-centered approach in the Wilpattu National Park’s (WNP) influence zone. The event focused on lessons learned and best practices implemented by the supporting WNP and influence zone management project in Sri Lanka.
Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) was hired by GOPA Worldwide Consultants to co-ordinate private sector investments in connection with the activities falling under outputs c) and d) of the Project, namely, the local population in the park’s influence zone has better access to alternative, resource-friendly income-generating opportunities outside conventional agriculture and the use of the national park as a communication instrument for the purpose of raising environmental awareness and promoting peaceful co-existence has improved.
At the outset, two keynote addresses were delivered by Mr. Sharada Sosa, Director, Forbes & Walker Fine Foods (Pvt.) Ltd. and Ms. Shamodi Nanayakkara, Manager, Dilmah Conservation, on the topics ‘The Story of Cashew: Farmers, Middlemen, and Escapeways’ and ‘Women-led Community Skills Development in the Influence Zones of High Conservation Value Forests’ respectively. Session II was a panel discussion, featuring a diverse array of eminent panelists representing the business sector, science and conservation education, and academia and included Dr. Anura Indrajith, Department of Applied Entomology, University of Rajarata, Ms. Chandani Wilson – Deputy Director Visitor Services Management, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Mr. L. P. D. Dayananda – Consultant/Agricultural and Business Development Specialist of BSL, and Mr. Nirmal Hettiarachchi – Technical Head, Fresh Produce of John Keells PLC. The discussion was based on innovative business actions and approaches, income-generating business solutions, linkages between policy and legislative frameworks, and focused on successes and challenges.
More than 80 participants attended this very informative session, which provided many insights on involving the private sector in protected area management in the country. Despite the multitude of challenges faced, overall, the Project successfully implemented its ground-level activities. One of the biggest challenges was Covid19 related restrictions. One of the other challenges was the relatively short time span available for the implementation phase, which provided very limited time and opportunity for BSL to build a strong rapport with the private companies and the target communities. However, BSL by undertaking back-to-back field visits and through its field coordinator managed to interact with the target groups closely and openly forging many interesting private sector linkages.
The project concluded with the observation that potential exists for mutually beneficial buyback programs for agricultural produce via location-based associations/small informal groups and/or through lead farmers, and interested private sector, lending sustainability and marketing independent of middlemen. There is a need to continue a similar momentum at least for another year to forge stronger links with the farmers and the private sector, to derive effective mutual benefits and wean farmers away from encroaching further into the influence zone of the park.
