NATURAL RESOURCES UTILIZATION IN ISOLATED GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ETANWALA VILLAGE IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

Natural resource is an asset or material that constitutes the natural capital of a nation which can be categorized into two main units as ubiquitous resources and localized resources. There are very few resources that are considered inexhaustible as vast majority of resources are theoretically exhaustible, which means they have a finite quantity and can be depleted if managed improperly. Majority of the traditional knowledge and livelihood is strongly attached to the nature as well their practices are very unique and specific when it comes to an isolated entity. Etanwala is a village which is located in Laggala DSD, in the Matale District. It is located in Central highlands of Sri Lanka blessed with friendly climate, terrain, fertile soil, natural hydraulic system, and natural forests. Associations with surrounding are very less due to the less accessibility to the village. Main objective of this research is to study the natural resource utilization in this naturally isolated entity. Data relating to natural resource utilization was gathered in descriptive manner. When conducting this research, primary sources were used to collect data. As primary sources, fifteen respondents (25% of the population) were selected from Etanwala village using purposive or the judgment sampling techniques for the convenience of the study. As the main technique of data collection interview and observation methods were used. Even though electricity has reached, firewood was the main mode of cooking which takes the first place as the easiest accessible power resource in the village area. Cultivations such as yams, spices (Cardamom, Pepper) and mustard, finger millet (kurakkan) are cultivated in the naturally fertilized soil while terrace farming (hel malu vagava) is done using the topography, climate and the hydrological conditions effectively. Fire wood, cadjan leaves, clay, hay, wood sticks and cow dung have used as a construction material. Wind was an immense resource which the villagers believe as a blessing even though it is not used in generating energy. Accordingly ubiquitous resources can be identified as sunlight and wind while such as forest, location of water resources can be viewed as localized resources. By the way forest, soil and water ways can be identified as exhaustible resources and restrictions are made with the use of forest resources by the government for reducing the harm on natural forest.