ESCAMP

The Forest Department (FD) and the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) are implementing project activities under the following four main components.

1. Landscape Planning and Management
2. Sustainable use of Natural Resources and Human – Elephant Co-Existence
3. Protected area Management and Institutional Capacity
4. Project Management

Component 1 – Landscape Management and Planning (LMP)

Component one provides technical assistance, training and capacity building to develop the guiding framework for landscape-level management planning and support the piloting of landscape planning and management in two selected landscapes (Hurulu, Kanthale and Kaudulla -HKK- and Sinharaja) comprising contiguous areas of unique ecological, cultural and socio-economic characteristics.

Component 2 – Sustainable use of Natural Resource and human-elephant co-existence

This component will support communities living adjacent to PAs and other ecologically sensitive areas to plan for natural resource use and to develop biodiversity compatible, productive and climate resilient livelihood activities and to scale-up successful models that address the human -elephant conflict. 

Sub – component 2 (a): Sustainable use of natural resources for livelihood enhancement

This sub-component supports the identification and implementation of eco-friendly and climate-smart existing or new livelihood options through participatory Community Action Plans (CAPs). Under this, nearly 170 micro projects are implemented under 58 Community Action Plans.

Sub – component 2 (b): Human – elephant co – existence for livelihood protection.

This sub – component has three key areas of interventions;

(a) Promotion of a Human Elephant Coexistence (HECOEX), aimed at the conservation of wild-elephants range outside wildlife parks, providing protection to village communities and paddy cultivations, through solar electric fences constructed and maintained with community participation;

(b) Implementation of livelihood development activities in fenced areas to upgrade the socio-economic status of the village communities. 

(c) Institutionalization of village and paddy field fencing, among the relevant government authorities, in order to ensure the sustainability of the concept of community fencing.  

Component 3 – Protected area management and institutional capacity development

The component three (3) has been specifically designed to address the issues in conservation and management in Protected Areas (PAs) with community engagement. Component three is supported for interventions in PAs in compliance with the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) and the Forest Conservation Ordinance (FCO); support nature-based tourism development, and strengthen the institutional capacity and investment capability for conservation and management. This component has following three sub-components. 

Sub – component 3 (a): Protected area conservation and management

This sub-component is financed to improve habitats by introducing best management practices (like reforestation, improving water and fodder for animals) in protected areas managed by both FD and DWC. Accordingly, priority PAs in the DWC and FD NP network are eligible to support under this sub-component.

Sub – component 3 (b): Nature – based tourism in protected areas

This sub-component aims at enhancing the quality of nature-based tourism through planning of nature-based tourism and visitor services / facilities in PAs, based on needs and carrying capacity of two departments.  The sub-component will support enhancing the nature-based tourism in selected PAs, including establishing the optimum number of visitors and development and renovation of visitor services / facilities including infrastructure.

Sub – component 3 (c): Institutional capacity and investment capability of DWC and FD

The sub-component is supported to strengthen the institutional capacity of two key implementing agencies. It finances activities to improve skills, training facilities and capacity for an effective management of PAs.