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Effectiveness of establishing forest buffer zones as a community forest management approach : a case study from the Sripada tropical peak wilderness sanctuary in Sri Lanka

Halvitigala Ihala Gamage, Chaminda Kumara
Master thesis
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URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/135165
Date
2010
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Abstract
The Sripada Tropical Peak Wilderness Sanctuary (STPWS) in Sri Lanka which is located

between latitudes 6˚- 45 ́- 6˚- 57 ́ N and longitudes 80˚- 27́-80˚-50 ́ E comes under the

category of ‘Wet Ever Green Tropical Rain Forests’ and spreads over 224 square kilometers

around the Sripada mountain range. In the peripheral areas of the forest sanctuary, there are a

considerable number of villages and the forest has been utilized over centuries by the

villagers on various purposes. Since over utilization of forest resources may easily induce

forest degradation, the gradual swell of population in the forest periphery has threatened the

survival of the forest. Given that aspect, the Forest Department of Sri Lanka has decided to

establish Forest Buffer Zones (FBZs) in the periphery of the STPWS in 1972-73 with the aim

of conserving of the dense forest via attempting to satisfy the communal needs for forest

resources with the resources available within the FBZs themselves. Accordingly, while the

main objective of the present research has been to analyze the effectiveness of establishing

FBZs in the STPWS as an approach to Community Forest Management, the central research

problem is to scrutinize whether both socioeconomic development of the rural community

and conservation of the forest sanctuary can jointly be achieved through the establishment of

FBZs. As the study area of the research, the STPWS, Sripalabaddala and Guruluwana GN

divisions to the Southwest of the forest, as well as two FBZs, viz. #1 and #2, situated between

the forest sanctuary and Guruluwana have been selected. Whereas there are no FBZs in

between Sripalabaddala and the forest sanctuary, Sripalabaddala has been selected with the

purpose of conducting a comparative study therewith. As regards sources and types of the

data, both qualitative and quantitative data as well as primary and secondary data were

collected. In order to collect primary data, questionnaire survey, case studies, quadrate

analysis, observation, and discussion methods were employed. One of the key findings of the

research was that forest resource utilization holds economical as well as social value to

communities residing in the peripheral areas of the forest sanctuary. The villagers from

Sripalabaddala have indifferently been utilizing the STPWS to gather forest produce due to

the absence of any FBZ. However, the villagers from Guruluwana have utilized both the

forest sanctuary and the FBZ #1 for the aforesaid purpose except the FBZ #2 which has been

left behind owing to the scarcity of required forest resources therein. The FBZ #1 has been

established by using Albezia (Albezia molucana), which grows in harmony with other local

endemic plant species and fauna. Yet, the FBZ #2 established with Araucaria (Araucaria

cookie) specie has hindered the growth of other local endemic species. When gathering of

non-Timber Forest Produce, gem mining and poaching are entertained, the forest resource

users have successfully been directed to the FBZ #1 from the STPWS. However, the forest

sanctuary is continually being utilized by the villagers for timber extraction, gathering of

costly resin varieties and spices since those are rarely available in the FBZ #1. In general, the

FBZ #1 has considerably contributed to satisfy the needs of the community for forest

produce. Underscored is that, when community involvement in the project is reflected on, the

community participation in planning, monitoring, and evaluation phases is rather poor and

consequently it has resulted in a number of project failures. The research concludes that the

concept of establishing FBZs remains effective in both fulfilling the needs of the community

that reside in the peripheral areas of the forest for forest produce and conserving the dense

forest. Yet, realistically, the community involvement in every phase of such a project should

be prioritized, regularly monitored and, prior to planning the project, every sphere of the

patterns and needs of forest resource utilization by the community should thoroughly be

examined. Moreover, the use of local, endemic, and commonly utilized plant species by

community members in the establishment of FBZs would significantly increase the

effectiveness of the project.
Description
Masteroppgave development management- Universitetet i Agder 2010
Publisher
Universitetet i Agder, University of Agder

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