The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative

Case Received: February 13, 1998

Author: Gunaratne de Silva

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Ritigala hill range is situated in the administrative district of Anuradhapura, and within the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Though located in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, it is separated from the wet and intermediate zones by the dry plains surrounding it. Its isolation and high elevation has produced a unique climate with wet and intermediate characteristics.

It contains a unique flora and is often referred to as a refergium for many rare and threatened plant species.

As many as 410 taxa of lower and higher plants are recorded from Ritigla. Of which over 50% are medicinally important. One new species Madhuca clavata and two other species. Coleus elongatus and Thunbergia fragrans var-parviflora are endemic to Ritigala. Some of the species recorded are extremely rare and possibly extinct from other localities in the island. Due to its interesting features and unique flora and fauna, this "green gold" which covers 1,528 ha was proclaimed a Strict Natural Reserve (SNR) on 07 November 1941 and is administered by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and admission is restricted to scientists for research purposes.

Geologically Ritigala belongs to metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary rocks of the Precambrian period. Ritigala is the catchment of a major river "Malwathu Oya" which provides irrigation water for a major part of the dry zone.

The authors through their involvement and interest in conservation of natural resources and medicinal plant cultivation were instrumental in founding a community based organization (CBO) for the conservation of the SNR through integrated and sustainable development programmes.

There are 14 villages surrounding Ritigala SNR having a population of over 6000. This population consist of three ethnic groups. Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim. 80% of the working population are farmers. Due to the non availability of sufficient water for agriculture cultivations are restricted to one season and generally income level of the farmers in very low. Majority of the people have no income from their cultivations during the dry season and are compelled to depend on the resources of the Ritigala SNR. Community dependency on resources of Ritigala SNR such as timber, firewood, meat, medicinal plants and bee honey has led to degradation of this "green gold" to a large extent'. That some of the rare and endemic species have become threatened or endangered.

This onslaught on the SNR had been continuing since the middle of the 21st century and has resulted in major environmental problems.

The cascading minor irrigation tank situated around the SNR contains 18 tanks but only 5 are in use now. This has cause major hardships to its community in the 14 villages. Quality of and quantity of the water in this Malwathu Oya has decreased causing hardships to community and considerable distance away from the SNR. Further this gene pool in SNR is depleted.

Ritigala was identified as one of the very important sites for biodiversity conservation. The Thanthirimale Gramodaya Mandalaya (a CBO) and Ministry of Indigenous Medicine undertook the responsibility of implementing the first phase of establishing a Community-based Resource Management Project with the financial assistance for Natural Resources Environmental Policy Project (NAREPP).

This CBRM project successfully mobilized the community living around Ritigala SNR as a viable force on protecting the Reserve within a period of six months.

The Ritigala community undertook the responsibility of positively responding to the duel challenges of conservation of the biodiversity of Ritigala SNR and developing a phragmatic programme to alleviate the problem of ever increasing poverty of the majority of the community. Ritigala Community Management Foundation (RITICOE) an outcome of the activities of TGM became the project management agency in 1995 and launched a sustainable programme for the management of the biodiversity in and around Ritigala SNR.

1. To protect Ritigala SNR from human intervention through direct community actions

2. To alleviate community pressure on the Ritigala SNR through opportunities to engage in alternative and sustainable income generating activities.

1. An increasing community awareness on importance of biodiversity of Ritigala SNR on life and sustainability of environmental resources.

2. Home garden and agroforestry development

3. Popularizing indigenous herbal medicine treatment and production of ayurvedic medicines through cultivations.

4. Establishing model medicinal plant cultivations and promotion of medicinal plants cultivation in home lots.

5. Rehabilitation of abundant village tanks and conserving tank catchments using medicinal plants.

6. Establish two community owned companies to market RITICOE products and savings credit and investment among women specially.

1. Rehabilitation of 3 village tank ecosystems

2. Introduction of medicinal plants into home gardens as additional source of income.

3. Development annual production.

4. 10 ayurvidic medicines have been prepared using locally available common medicinal plants and used in mobile health clinics.

5. Established a federation of the school environmental clubs known as Ritigala SLSU Parisara Sangamaya (RISIPASA)

6. Established 6 village development centres.

7. Savings, credit and investment - groups.

1. Conservation / Sustainable development projects should be planned and managed by the community themselves.

2. Conservation activities should be accompanied by community development programmes.

3. Grassroot level organizations should implement the programmes to ensure its sustainability.

The establishment of Village Development Centres (VDC) with existing village level CBOs and implementing the programmes through these VDCs were the unique features of this project. This implementation procedure has been adopted for replication by the World Bank funded project on conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in Sri Lanka.