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Conservation Tax could mitigate elephant conflict: Study 

15 Mar 2021

Charging a conservation tax of Rs. 98.76 as part of the entrance fee to national parks (NPs) would allow the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) to generate the required allocation for mitigating the human-elephant conflict (HEC), a local study showed.  The study, which revealed the results of the preferences of and willingness on the part of visitors to NPs to pay a conservation tax for different strategies to mitigate the HEC, further showed that a significant portion of respondents was willing to pay for the proposed HEC mitigation measures in order to conserve wild elephants while a majority were willing to pay more for the implementation of long-term mitigation measures.  Based on the overall average marginal willingness to pay (MWTP - which is the amount an individual is willing to pay in order to receive more of a given attribute whilst holding other attributes constant) a conservation tax, the amount was calculated, according to the study, to be Rs. 98.76 per person, per visit. The existing park entrance fee to a NP is Rs. 60 per person, excluding taxes.  The study titled ‘Elephant Watching for Mitigating the HEC: A Case Study in Sri Lanka’ which was authored by R.M.W. Rathnayake (attached to the Department of Tourism Management of the Faculty of Management Studies of the Sabaragamuwa University) and published recently in the South Asian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality, therefore called for a policy direction to introduce a new fee structure for NPs including a conservation tax to the entrance fee.  The HEC is one of the biggest environmental and socio-economic crises in rural Sri Lanka. The intensification of the HEC in recent times has been due primarily to the cumulative impact of the increase in human population, especially around the forest fringes, and land encroachments including illegally cultivated areas and human settlements, and the concomitant loss and fragmentation of habitats of elephants. The establishment of human settlements in wildlife habitats or corridors (i.e., elephant migration routes which are connecting paths of protected areas in which preferred habitats, mainly water and food sources, are available) is one of the major causes of the HEC.  In 2019, 376 elephant deaths were reported while 114 people died due to elephant attacks, mostly in their own villages and fields. More than 60% of the HEC incidents were from the areas where the Minneriya NP, the Udawalawe NP and the Wasgamuwa NP are.  Further, annually, elephants cause over $ 10 million worth damage to crops and properties. Crop damage and human injuries and human deaths are the major direct costs associated with the HEC. An average farmer in elephant impacted areas loses over $ 300 annually in crop damage.  In 2019, the DWC paid more than Rs. 60 million as compensation for human deaths, injuries, and property damage. It also spent more than Rs. 10 million for the capture and translocation of marauding elephants.  Although more than Rs. 550 million is allocated for elephant conservation and compensation and for implementing the HEC mitigation measures by the DWC, these outlays in expenditures have not succeeded in mitigating the HEC.  The study was carried out in the Minneriya NP, the Udawalawe NP and the Wasgamuwa NP, all Forests which offer habitat for large mammals including the Asian elephant and reptiles, and endemic birds. The main tourist activities in the three Parks are wildlife safari, camping and overnight stays at the bungalows within the Parks. In 2018, the Minneriya NP, the Udawalawe NP and the Wasgamuwa NP attracted 196,103, 330,381 and 31,609 visitors (total number of visitors per annum was 558,093), respectively, where the majority came to enjoy elephant watching.  For the implementation of immediate mitigation measures for the HEC, the proposed solutions were the removal of marauding elephants from the area (the current practise), the provision of a proper compensation package for crop losses, property damages and human injuries and human deaths, and for each household to be given thunder flares.  Concerning education and extension programs for the HEC, the proposed solutions were conducting awareness programmes on the HEC (the current practise), awareness programs on household level mitigation measures on the HEC, and a combination of the aforementioned two.  Regarding the implementation of long-term mitigation measures, the proposed solutions were the establishment and maintenance of village level electric fences, the establishment and maintenance of the Park boundary electric fence (the current practise), and habitat enrichment programmes in NPs (i.e. the construction of water holes and the eradication of weeds).  On the WTP for preventing the HEC (i.e. tax for preventing the HEC per household unit), the proposed solutions were charging no conservation tax (the current practise), charging Rs. 50, and charging Rs. 100.  The study sample included 1,760 respondents (comprising only those visitors whose main intention in visiting the Parks was elephant watching) representing 680, 620 and 460 visitors to the Minneriya NP, the Udawalawe NP and the Wasgamuwa NP, respectively, with every fifth safari vehicle coming out of the Parks having observed elephants being chosen. At the exit gate of the Parks, either the leader of the group or a member from each group who volunteered to provide information (100 visitors), was interviewed face to face.  The mean education level of the visitors was roughly 13 years. Their monthly household income was Rs. 64,640.52. The ages ranged from 26 to 78 years with an average age of 34.90 years. A high percentage was male (67.35%) and most visitor groups were led by males. Only a few were found to be working in tourism (2.3%) and environment (1.8%) related fields.  The visitors identified elephant killing by farmers as the major problem, followed by habitat encroachments, and the poaching of other wildlife. A total of 82% also mentioned the HEC as the most important issue relating to wildlife to be addressed at the national level. Most (67%) expressed dissatisfaction with the current HEC mitigation activities conducted by the DWC. A majority mentioned the lack of fund allocation for the HEC by the Government to implement the HEC mitigation plans developed by the DWC as a major impediment. A total of 72% also identified unplanned and unsustainable development activities as one of the determiners of the HEC. Another problem identified was the lack of inter-agency coordination, which is a major limitation when implementing a particular elephant conservation plan.  The respondents also recognised the importance of awareness and education programs with regard to elephant conservation for people and communities in areas adjacent to NPs as another requirement in the HEC mitigation. The other requirement for the HEC mitigation that they highlighted was the importance of motivating the staff of the DWC and support by the Government. The highest preferences were recorded for the provision of a proper compensation package for crop losses, property damages and human injuries and human deaths, awareness programmes on the HEC and awareness programmes on household level mitigation measures on the HEC, habitat enrichment programmes in NPs such as through the construction of water holes and the eradication of weeds and the establishment and maintenance of the Park boundary electric fence.  The lowest preferences were recorded for the establishment and maintenance of village level electric fences and the removal of marauding elephants from the area. These two activities were short-term solutions. Only a few visitors seemed to prefer them as the best solutions for mitigating the HEC.  The preference of a majority (88.66%) for a particular choice set was mainly determined by the presence of a proper compensation package for crop losses, property damages and attacks on humans and human deaths. For 36.47%, their choice was determined by the presence of awareness programs on the HEC. The presence of the establishment and maintenance of the Park boundary electric fence was the reason that some choice sets were selected by about 38.66%. Hence, it is evident that the visitors seem to prefer these activities as long-term solutions for the HEC.  Further, no respondent said that in selecting their choice set, they were influenced by the monetary values included under each choice set.  This suggests that the concern with regard to mitigating the HEC differs from one socio-economic group to another. Respondents with higher education levels are more likely to support the biodiversity conservation project while those with higher income are willing to pay more. However, gender was not significant. On the other hand, respondents working in an environment or tourism related field were willing to pay a conservation fee in the form of a tax.  In discussions with the visitors, it was found that they feel that it is the Government’s responsibility to bear the expenses for the HEC mitigation. It is clear that visitors expect the DWC to implement these measures to mitigate the HEC because only the DWC has the technical capacity to implement them.  People prefer to pay a tax for the HEC mitigation. The visitors are willing to pay a conservation tax for all except the removal of marauding elephants from the area. This indicates that the respondents will suffer a welfare loss if a conservation tax is charged from visitors to mitigate the HEC using this particular measure.  Visitors are willing to pay more, ranging from Rs. 32.09 to Rs. 37.90, for the option of the establishment and maintenance of the Park boundary electric fence. Visitors are also willing to pay more for a proper compensation package for crop losses, property damages, attacks on humans and human deaths at the Udawalawe NP and the Minneriya NP, the amount being Rs. 21.56 and Rs. 38.17, respectively. But visitors to the Wasgamuwa NP are willing to pay more for the option of each household being given thunder flares. The visitors are willing to pay more, ranging from Rs. 6.77 to Rs. 31.68, for the combined options of awareness programs on the HEC and awareness programmes on household level mitigation measures for the HEC. If the total of the highest MWTP values resulting from each preferred attribute is considered as a conservation tax for mitigating the HEC, the conservation tax will be Rs. 112.11 at the Minneriya NP, Rs. 85.38 at the Udawalawe NP and Rs. 95.37 at the Wasgamuwa NP.

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