FIT-FOR-PURPOSE SOLUTIONS FOR PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH LAND USE PLANNING AND LAND CONSOLIDATION: A CASE STUDY IN WEWATHENNA GN DIVISION, SRI LANKA

Abstract

To regulate the distribution of the benefits of a certain land area for specific uses, land rights give immense support. Land consolidation and land use planning are the main aspects of land management which show importance in environmental issues locally as well as globally. Large and negative effects on society externally can be generated through land conflicts. As a developing country, in Sri Lanka, with a growing population, it is better to find proper solutions for emerging problems in land use planning and land consolidation activities. In land use policies, the lack of a systematic and reliable database on land and water resources is one of the major weaknesses. The main objective of this study was to identify land management-related problems and feasible solutions in a rural area of Sri Lanka in a scientific manner. The research area was the Wawathenna GN division of the UVA province and used questionnaires, modern surveying technology, and tools to obtain data. Identified social and economic opportunities for improving their lifestyle and interventions of government officers, institutions, organizations, and non-government officers on villagers’ problems through this research. The results explain the capabilities to implement solutions for the burning issues on the ground level. Overall, the synthesized research exposed the land use planning and land consolidation strategies towards the village economy and villagers’ well-being accordingly.