and financial assistance for seed money are expected to be
implemented, particularly in order to promote small scale
projects initiated by local villagers for income generation.
There is no major tourism spot in southwest lowland rainforest.
Increasing visitors to Sinharaja forest, well known as
a world heritage, designated only lbr strict protection, research
and education, indicates a strong demand of nature-based
tourism. Tourism facilities with conservation centers and
tourist lodges are proposed in the KDN forest complex and
local tourism with water related recreational facilities are
proposed in the Kekanadura forest where there is a large
reservoir (IUCN, 1995b,c). However, funding for these facilities
is not yet finalized. Development of nature-based tourism
in the southwest lowland will reduce pressure on Sinharaja as
well as generating income for the local community. In any
case, it should be remembered that conservation is the primary
concern for conservation forest.
Conclusions
Conservation in protected areas requires sustainable
resource management in the buffer zones. While monitoring
tbr strict protection is important, socio-economic development
lbr income generation is essential to maintain the
zoning in the management plans. Income generation through
forest management practices can be optimized by combining
political commitments to use the forests in multiple ways
(dissemination of NTFPs), technical support to improve productivity
by agroforestry techniques and financial support
for innovative economic activities (tourism development).
Since the way to protect natural forests with local participation
is already beyond the jurisdiction of FD, further cooperation
with other agencies is required. Although national forest
policy emphasizes local people's participation, actual
implementation needs to work with other sector agencies
and local government. In order to introduce holistic and
horizontal approaches to facilitate government agencies and
local communities toward community-based resource management,
a new political system with both protected areas and
buffer zone villages to enable the provision of special incentives
to local villagers in bufl%r zones for supporting conservation
is necessary.
Participatory forestry to provide for the short term daily
needs tbr local villagers must fulfill the long term requirements
for forest management. It should be noticed that the role of
government has been changed from direct involvement in
forest management practices to arrangement between shortterm
socio-economic needs of the local people and long term
bio-physical requirements of natural tbrests. Sustainable
socio-economic development lbr income generation through
forest resources and capability building of local villagers
who actually manage the lorests will be the key for the success