Human–Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is recognised as a global concern under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, as it threatens biodiversity conservation, food security, and sustainable development.
Causes Behind Growing Human–Wildlife Conflict:
1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation:
- Expansion of agriculture, highways, railways and mining has reduced and fragmented forest habitats.
- For example, In the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong landscape, highways and tea plantations have disrupted elephant corridors, leading to frequent crop raids and human fatalities.
2. Population Pressure and Encroachment:
- Rising human population and settlement expansion near protected areas increase human-animal encounters.
- India’s forest fringe villages are often directly adjacent to tiger reserves and elephant habitats.
3. Decline in Habitat Quality:
- Replacement of native vegetation with alien commercial species like eucalyptus, acacia and mangium reduces fodder availability. This pushes herbivores out of forests in search of food.
4. Changing Agricultural Practices:
- Cultivation of high-potential crops such as crops paddy, sugarcane, banana etc attracts elephants, wild boars and nilgai. Crop fields become substitute feeding grounds.
5. Habitats Pressures:
- Successful conservation as seen in Project Tiger without corresponding habitat expansion leads to ecological overcrowding. Surplus animals then disperse into human-dominated landscapes.
6. Linear Infrastructure and Climate Stress:
- Roads, railways and canals block animal movement while climate-induced water and fodder stress intensifies wildlife movement toward human areas.
Consequences of Human–Wildlife Conflict:
- Human Impact: Loss of life and injuries. For example, over 300 human deaths were reported in Kerala during 2021–25 due to HWC.
- Economic Losses: Farmers lose 10–15% of annual crop yield to elephants, wild boars, monkeys and nilgai.
- Wildlife Impact: Retaliatory killings, poisoning, electrocution and road/rail accidents reduce wildlife populations.
- Administrative Burden: States spend heavily on compensation and mitigation. E.g., Kerala spent over ₹79 crore in six years on HWC management.
Measures to Address Human–Wildlife Conflict:
1. Integrating HWC into Development Planning: Make HWC mitigation a mandatory component of infrastructure projects, urban planning and smart cities near forest areas.
2. Community-Centric Mitigation: Promote coexistence models rather than elimination of wildlife and ensure local communities benefit through eco-development, employment and revenue sharing.
3. Early Warning and Technology Use: Deploy GPS collars, motion-sensor cameras, drone surveillance and SMS-based alerts to warn communities of animal movement.
4. Nature-Based Barriers: Use solar fencing, bio-fencing such as chilli, cactus, beehive fences and improved livestock enclosures.
5. Speedy and Transparent Compensation: Compensation for crop and livestock loss should be time-bound, digital and realistic, to prevent retaliatory violence.
Conclusion:
A shift toward habitat connectivity, community participation, rapid compensation, and landscape-level planning is essential to ensure that biodiversity protection and human welfare advance together.
‘+1’ Value Addition:
- Early warning systems using GPS-collared elephants and SMS alerts in Odisha and Tamil Nadu have reduced surprise encounters.
- India records over 500 elephant deaths annually, with a significant share caused by railway collisions, electrocution and road accidents.
- Proliferation of Lantana camara in central India is indirectly pushing herbivores toward farmlands.
- Delays beyond 3–6 months in compensation increase retaliatory actions against wildlife.
La Excellence IAS Academy, the best IAS coaching in Hyderabad, known for delivering quality content and conceptual clarity for UPSC 2025 preparation.
FOLLOW US ON:
◉ YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@CivilsPrepTeam
◉ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaExcellenceIAS
◉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laexcellenceiasacademy/
GET IN TOUCH:
Contact us at info@laex.in, https://laex.in/contact-us/
or Call us @ +91 9052 29 2929, +91 9052 99 2929, +91 9154 24 2140
OUR BRANCHES:
Head Office: H No: 1-10-225A, Beside AEVA Fertility Center, Ashok Nagar Extension, VV Giri Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad, 500020
Madhapur: Flat no: 301, survey no 58-60, Guttala begumpet Madhapur metro pillar: 1524, Rangareddy Hyderabad, Telangana 500081
Bangalore: Plot No: 99, 2nd floor, 80 Feet Road, Beside Poorvika Mobiles, Chandra Layout, Attiguppe, Near Vijaya Nagara, Bengaluru, 560040