UK assists Sri Lanka to introduce Insurance schemes for farmers affected by elephants

In an attempt to tackle the threats to both humans and elephants, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the DWLC, the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS), Insurance companies, NGOs and Local Government joined hands to seek a sustainable solution through the LIFE project.

It is aimed at introducing Private Insurance schemes to compensate farmers affected by wild elephant attacks.

The project was introduced by Paul Steele, Chief Economist of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), UK. The project is funded by Darwin Initiative of the UK’s Department for Environment and Food and Rural Affairs.

The LIFE project aims to “develop and test private, commercial insurance schemes to reduce the impact of HWC on women and men and small farmers in Sri Lanka and Kenya.

It will develop cost effective private insurance schemes in a couple of provinces, to verify claims and to pay farmers as early as possible and to ensure that they receive payments on time.

The Livelihood Insurance from Elephants (Live) Project with funding from the Darwin initiative of the UK’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs aims to assess over three years the feasibility of improving insurance as tool for reducing the impacts of human wildlife conflict in Sri Lanka and Kenya in collaboration with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) U.K.

Data shows that during 2011-2015 period elephant attacks has led to 414 human deaths and 6320 incidents of property related damage in Sri Lanka.

“We have also lost 1147 elephants during the same period on an average of 230-240 a year. The break down is about 4 elephants a week which is very alarming said Dr. Dushni Weerakoon the Executive Director of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka at a workshop held at the in Colombo on “Livelihood Insurance from Elephants in Sri Lanka.”

According to available data ,elephant population in Sri Lanka has been declined by 50 percent during the past sixty to seventy years. There are only 2500-4000- elephants considered to be wild.

Paul Steele of the Chief Economist International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) UK said the overall objective of the project is to develop and test private commercial insurance schemes to reduce the impact on human wildlife conflict involving men and women and small farmers in Sri Lanka and also in Kenya.

He said about 230 elephants are killed by farmers each year in Sri Lanka which is quite significant.

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80 farmers killed by elephant attacks every year

About 80 farmers were killed every year due to wild elephant attacks around the country, it was revealed in a discussion held at the Ministry of Agriculture last week.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that it was revealed when the review committee meeting held to prevent damages by wild animals.

The Minister said the proposals had been asked from experts to be submitted to prevent such damages by animals.

“But no such proposal had been fruitful,” he said.

This review committee meeting was held on the instructions of the President to provide a report and take measures to minimise the damages caused by wild animals, mainly elephants.

The Minister stated that wild beasts were killed in some countries as they damage cultivation and no such decision had been taken as Sri Lanka upheld Buddhist Principles.

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2 dead in Ambanpola wild elephant attacks

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Two people have been killed in separate wild elephants attacks which occurred in the area falling under the purview of the Ambanpola Police Division.

Police said a 34-year-old man was killed in a wild elephant attack in Paththinigala Ambanpola last night (July 11). The victim was attacked when he came out of his house to answer a phone call.

A 62-year-old woman also died in Nelumpathwewa, Ambanpola after being attacked by a wild elephant. Police said she fell victim to the attack while she was on her way to the temple.

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Wild elephant attack claims another life

A 55-year-old woman had been killed early this morning in the Galgamuwa-Reswehera area due to an elephant attack.

She had faced this tragedy while returning from a relative’s home in the Galgamuwa-Pothanegama area this morning.

During the past few days, over ten people had been killed due to wild elephant attacks.

Recently, two youths were killed due to a wild elephant attack in the Matale-Lihiniyapitiya area, while in another incident in the Girandurukotte-Viranagama area a wildlife officer lost his life during an operation to chase off a herd of wild elephants.

In another incident that took place the day before yesterday, two persons had been killed by wild elephants in the Ampara-Panama area.

The Deputy Wildlife Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma who visited the relatives of the two youths killed in the wild elephant attack the day before yesterday in Matale-Lihiniyapitiya, promised to set up a wildlife office in the area which constantly comes under wild elephant attack.

Meanwhile, another monk had sustained injuries in a wild elephant attack and the villagers of the Anuradhapura-Medawachchiya, Wewalketiya village had staged a protest drawing attention to the constant wild elephant threat faced by these villagers.


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