The Impact of Civil War on Wildlife in Sri Lanka
Publisher: Current Science
Author(s): Charles Santiapillai, S. Wijeyamohan
Date: 2003
Topics: Land, Renewable Resources
Countries: Sri Lanka
War can be a mixed blessing to local wildlife and its habitat. It can have both beneficial and detrimental impacts on the environment. One example of the positive impact of war on wildlife was reported from Zimbabwe where elephant numbers increased in the Hwangwe National Park beyond the park's carrying capacity during the height of the civil war, as the situation had become too dangerous even for poachers. The positive impact of war on the environment is largely due to the fact that it tends to keep people, including poachers, out of conflict areas. This is attested by the spectacular bird diversity and numbers recorded from the Giant's Tank in the Vanni region of the northwest Sri Lanka, from where a large number of people fled during the war. But this is an exception rather than the rule, for in most instances war tends to do more damage to wildlife and its habitat. This commentary outlines the negative impact civil war has on wildlife.