Ecotourism for Sustainable Forest Management in Sri Lanka

Problems and Issues in forest management system of Sri Lanka: Deforestation and forestdegradation have become serious environmental issues faced by Sri Lanka today. Forestmanagement system of Sri Lanka has been based on ‘command and control’ approach, whilealmost 98 per cent of the natural forests are owned and managed by the two state agencies,namely the Forest Department (FD) and the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC).The present system shows a limited involvement of local communities as stakeholders inforest management. It is vital that the society sees the economic benefits of forest conservation,in order to conservation being more meaningful and long lasting. Forest-based ecotourism, anon-consumptive, market-based approach to forest utilization has received a foremost position,due to its prospective economic and environmental benefits.