Abstract

Identifying Elephant Corridors to Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflicts Using GIS
Track: Conservation
Authors: Chandima Fernando

Human elephant conflicts (HEC) in Sri Lanka threatens the survival of the endangered elephant and disrupts the lives and livelihoods of the rural agrarian communities in the dry zone. The recently launched Moragahakanda irrigation project claims large tracts of forest areas occupied by elephants, resulting in habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. The potential for high incidence of human-elephant contact in the increased edge habitats, poses a major risk of escalating HEC. The objective of this study is to identify elephant corridors that goes through edge habitats using GIS and Remote Sensing techniques. PCI GeoImaging extension will be used in ArcGIS to process RADASTaT-2 satellite data. ArcGIS spatial analyst and model builder tools will be used to identify and model elephant movement and habitat use. The project will identify solutions for sustainable habitat management benefiting the survival of the elephant population and safe land use for the stakeholders.