Human Wildlife Conflict: Causes and Solutions | UPSC Notes

The term Human Wildlife Conflict is used to describe the negative interactions between humans and wildlife, which can lead to damage to life, property, or resources. The ever-growing human population inevitably leads to encroachment into the natural habitats of wildlife. As a result, many countries have made it a priority to mitigate human wildlife conflict as part of their national environmental strategies.

This article on Human Wildlife Conflict UPSC provides an in-depth understanding of Human Wildlife Conflict UPSC, especially in the context of the IAS Exam. It also includes key findings from the latest UNEP and WWF Report titled, 'Future for All', which is focused on Human Wildlife Conflict.

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About Human Wildlife Conflict

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) defines human wildlife conflict as “an interaction between humans and wildlife that results in negative impacts on human social, economic, or cultural life, on the conservation of wildlife populations, or on the environment.”

According to the IUCN SSC Human Wildlife Conflict Task Force, human wildlife conflict arises when the presence or behavior of wildlife poses a real or perceived, direct and recurring threat to human interests or needs. This often leads to disagreements between different groups of people and negative impacts on both people and wildlife.

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Causes of Human Wildlife Conflict in India

A variety of factors contribute to Human Wildlife Conflict. These are primarily caused by humans coming into close proximity with the natural habitats of wildlife. For instance, when herbivores consume crops or carnivores prey on livestock, the farmers who rely on these resources may resort to extreme measures to prevent loss of wildlife.

• As the human population continues to grow rapidly and biodiversity remains high, interactions between people and wild animals are becoming increasingly common.
• Habitat disturbance, which involves the destruction of the natural habitats of wild animals, is another significant factor. This can occur when humans kill or drive away wild animals by digging, cutting, sealing their habitats with stones, or using smoke.
• Other factors include large-scale habitat destruction through deforestation, overgrazing by livestock, and the expansion of human settlements and agriculture.

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Impacts of Human Wildlife Conflict

These are the following impact of human wildlife conflict:

• Human-wildlife conflict can result in significant economic losses for communities. Wildlife damage to crops, livestock, and property can lead to reduced livelihood opportunities and increased financial burdens for affected individuals.
• Conflicts with wildlife can pose risks to human safety and even result in loss of life. Attacks by large mammals such as elephants, tigers, and bears can lead to injuries or fatalities, particularly in areas where human settlements are close to wildlife habitats.
• Human-wildlife conflict can disrupt traditional livelihood practices. This is especially true for communities dependent on agriculture, pastoralism, or fishing.
• Conflicts with humans can have negative implications for wildlife conservation efforts. Retaliatory killings or poaching of wildlife may occur as a result of conflicts. This leads to a decline in populations and threatening biodiversity conservation efforts.
• Frequent encounters with wildlife, especially when they result in loss, can cause psychological distress among affected individuals.

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Measures to Mitigate Human Wildlife Conflict

Several measures can be implemented to mitigate human wildlife conflict. The most effective ones are those that involve local community members in the planning, implementation, and maintenance stages.

Some other examples of human wildlife conflict mitigation techniques include:

• Translocation of problematic animals: Relocating so-called "problem" animals from conflict zones to new locations is one approach. However, recent research has shown that this method can have negative effects on species and is largely ineffective.
• Erection of fences or other barriers: Building barriers around livestock enclosures, creating distinct wildlife corridors, and erecting beehive fences around farms to deter elephants have all been shown to be successful and cost-effective strategies for mitigating human wildlife conflict.
• Compensation: In some cases, governments have established systems to provide monetary compensation for losses incurred due to human wildlife conflict. These systems aim to discourage retaliatory killings of animals and financially incentivize humans and wildlife to coexist.
• Predator-deterring guard dogs: The use of guard dogs to protect livestock from predators has been effective in mitigating human-carnivore conflict worldwide. A recent review found that livestock losses were, on average, 60 times lower in cases where guard dogs were used as a management technique.

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Government Initiatives to Tackle Human Wildlife Conflict

These are the following initiatives to tackle human wildlife conflict:

• Governments establish protected areas and wildlife corridors to ensure the conservation of wildlife habitats and minimize human-wildlife conflict.
• Governments implement early warning systems to alert communities about the presence of wildlife in their vicinity.
• Governments introduce compensation schemes to mitigate the economic losses incurred by communities affected by human-wildlife conflict.
• Governments encourage the participation of local communities in conservation efforts through community-based initiatives.
• Governments invest in research and monitoring programs to better understand the patterns and causes of human-wildlife conflict.

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