Sri Lanka, July 8 -- The Environment Ministry, together with the Wildlife Conservation Department and the Forest Conservation Department, has launched the National Programme for Wild Elephant Habitat Enrichment and Rehabilitation, introducing a science-based approach to mitigate Sri Lanka's long-standing human-elephant conflict.

The programme aims to reduce elephant incursions into villages by improving the availability of food and water within forest habitats, shifting the focus from traditional mitigation measures such as electric fences and enclosures to habitat restoration.

The first phase of the project has already been completed in the Kalawewa and Puttalam Tabbowa tank areas and surrounding wildlife reserves.

As part of the ini...