Abstract:
Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) has long been a significant issue in the elephant range region of
Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka. Koralaipattu South is one of the most vulnerable regions out of 14
divisional secretariat divisions of the Batticaloa district. In this context, the study focused on
Koralipattu South Divisional Secretariat Division, Batticaloa. In the study area, some issues and root
causes of HEC are evident, such as the expansion of temporary settlements, wild resource exploitation,
and widespread elephant habitat losses due to agricultural fields across Koralipattu South, degraded
forage, and reduced natural landscape connectivity. Due to the shrink of the elephant habitat, they are
progressively forced into closer contact with the human population in forest precincts or cultivated
areas, resulting in more frequent and severe conflict between humans and elephants. As a result, many
properties, human lives, and communities in Koralaipattu South have been disrupted in various ways.
In this backdrop, the study's main objective is to prepare a map to elaborate spatial patterns of HEC
at Koralaipattu Divisional Secretariat Division. The study approaches mixed methods of spatial
analysis through Geospatial Technology. Field observation, GPS survey, interviews, and talks with
diverse people in Koralaipattu South are the primary data sources for this study. The land-use
condition of the study area was determined using remotely sensed data. Data were spatially applied
using grid index system analysis in the ArcGIS platform. Results reveal that HEC is a severe issue in
the community, posing a threat to human lives, livelihoods, and settlements. Fourteen Grama
Niladhari Divisions (GNDs) out Eighteen in the Koralipattu South were seriously affected by HEC.
Domesticating, translocating, and eliminating troublesome elephants were among the innovative and
co-existing strategies established and applied in Sri Lanka. But in the study area, the majority appears
to be driven by short-term, site-specific factors that often transfer the HEC problems from one place
to another. The risk map of HEC will supports respective officers, the public, and researchers from
various sectors in preventing HEC in the future.
