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Tropical Forest Lifeways & Livelihood Recovery of Vadda Communities of Sri Lanka
Tropical Forest Lifeways & Livelihood Recovery of Vadda Communities of Sri Lanka
Present situation
Modern day living for the Vadda community is, however, very different. We have been asked to move
away from our ancestral lands intended for large scale irrigation or hydropower projects and the
declaration of Protected Areas (PA) designed for biodiversity conservation.
Now most of us are live in permanent village settlements in buffer zones of Protected Areas. The forest
that we once belonged to, is no longer meant for us The bonds we once shared with the mountains and
the spirits of our ancestors are so far away.
We have been given alternative land with permanent housing to cultivate commercial crops. Now we
are neither farmers nor Vadda hunter-gatherers. We use chemicals and fertilisers and instead of living in
harmony with nature, we now contribute towards environmental degradation. We are forced to adhere
to the mainstream education system with formal learning measures, such as text books, that provide
little opportunity in experiencing the wonders of living in accordance with the natural world,
traditionally managed by us.
We have been taken away from our natural environment and are now distanced from our own culture.
Today, we can see that your so-called 'civilised' societies, as well as 'development' concepts threaten not
only the biological diversity and climate on a global scale, but have served to complicate the simple and
effective life ways led by us not so long ago!
Way forward
Finally, we would like to say that we, as the Vadda people, wish to 'live & let live' in the bounds of our
very forests. We want to still experience our traditional lifeways and values taught by our ancestors who
live on as spirits of the Nae Yakku in our sacred grounds.
A well balanced approach to future livelihood 'development' ought to consider both modern and
traditional practices to ensure our livelihood security. We can continue to maintain our role as
protectors of our ancestral lands and rekindle the spiritual and cultural values that have been eroded.
With these hopes in mind, we work with the Government and other concerned parties in partnership
with the Inter-agency Working Group on Livelihood Recovery of Traditional/Indigenous Forest People, such
as the Vadda communities living in Sri Lanka.
We have contributed towards the development of the National Policy on Traditional Knowledge. We
are also in the process of piloting practical mechanisms to access forest resources that will help sustain
our traditional lifeways and enable participation in conservation efforts in partnership with the wildlife
and forest conservation authorities.
What we believe is caring and sharing of our mother nature ..
U N
D P
Director
Biodiversity Secretariat
Ministry of Environment, "Parisara Piyasa'
104, Robert Gunawardene Mawatha, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
Email: gaminigamage@yahoo.co.uk