Abstract

The way human beings survive on the planet relies on environmental health, and forests occupy a special role in that balance; as a result, conserving forests carries great importance both locally and internationally. In Sri Lanka, forest cover has fallen to 29.7 percent over the past century despite a legal framework that once protected roughly 70 percent of the island's land area. This study examines the crimes that drive deforestation and forest degradation, focusing on the problem that forest crimes remain punishable and detrimental, yet those who commit them continue to do so. The research examines the socio-economic background of individuals involved in forest crimes in Sri Lanka, how their socio-economic status shapes their behaviour, and what solutions might reduce such offending. The Ampara Range of Ampara District was selected as the study location. A mixed-methods design combined quantitative and qualitative data: a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire of 31 questions was completed by 31 respondents drawn through stratified random sampling from individuals with recorded forest-crime cases in the Ampara Range, complemented by semi-structured key-informant interviews with six informants, including forest and wildlife officers, law-enforcement officers, and local residents. The factors motivating forest crime were identified and analysed, showing that forest destruction is driven not only by livelihood concerns but also, to a lesser extent, by profit-making enterprises and political influence. A multi-level policy strategy against forest crime is proposed accordingly.

Keywords: Deforestation, Forest crimes, Forest degradation, Policy recommendations, Socio-economic factors