EFL, on the request of the villagers, investigates into the forest clearance within the Ehetuwewa Divisional Secretariat in the Kurunegala District. The forest clearance is being carried out over 1000 acres of temple land which has been given to two multinational companies. The causes for concern are the far-reaching environmental impacts: Increased human- elephant conflict, as between 200-300 elephants habitat the forest and surrounding catchment. Land clearance along the catchment will lead to siltation, threatening the livelihoods (small- scale cultivation) of the
Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve (HSNR) is one of the nation’s most important Protected Areas (PA). It is the only SNR in the country at high altitude, and provides exceptional goods and services (to learn more, visit our Biodiversity Conservation page). Not only does HSNR contain unique and endangered biodiversity, it is also the critical watershed for the Uva Basin, which is one of the poorest areas in the country. In addition, the downstream Uma Oya River supplies Mahaweli systems
