Drivers of Pathways and Leverage Points of Conflict in Mahaweli Resettlement Scheme in Sri Lanka
Abstract
Large-scale forced displacement and resettlement present significant challenges to humanity in the modern world. A portion of the indigenous community in Sri Lanka was resettled as part of the Mahaweli Development project, impacting their original environment and traditional way of life, leading to disputes among various groups. The main objective of this research was to identify the central drivers of conflict that arose in a resettled community due to a modern development project. Data was collected through qualitative and quantitative methods, including focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis revealed social, economic, political, and environmental factors as the main contributors to conflict. Within these main drivers, cultural factors, social adaptability, land use patterns, traditional way of life, poverty, modernized development practices, macro-level policy design, weak implementation, intervention of powerful political groups, administrative patterns, resource scarcity, land and forest encroachment, overconsumption of common pool resources, and resource abundance were identified as key leverage points. The escalating conflict in rural resettlement schemes in Sri Lanka is primarily attributed to a lack of attention to conflict resolution and the neglect of minority and affected communities. It is crucial to identify these conflict drivers and leverage points to effectively address and prevent conflicts.
Copyright Notice Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. The Editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication. Copyrights for articles published in IJSSA journal are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author’s responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
