Conservation Conflict Transformation in Action: Addressing Human-Wildlife Conflict Affecting the Endangered Grevy's Zebra in Kenya

Without peace, conservation action cannot succeed. In the fertile plains of El Barta Kenya, violent livestock raiding between the local Samburu and Turkana communities over cattle, natural resources, and land rights, combined... [ view full abstract ]

Without peace, conservation action cannot succeed. In the fertile plains of El Barta Kenya, violent livestock raiding between the local Samburu and Turkana communities over cattle, natural resources, and land rights, combined with the absence of state security, has imperiled the local population of endangered Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi), whose habitat lies directly in the conflict area. Intractable inter-ethnic conflict in El Barta has made it difficult for the Grevy’s Zebra Trust (GZT) to meet critical conservation goals necessary to protect this endangered species. GZT recognizes that contributing to El Barta’s community peacekeeping efforts could support sustainable conservation. To address both human-wildlife conflict and peacekeeping challenges, GZT implemented, at a grassroots level, the transdisciplinary framework of Conservation Conflict Transformation (CCT) to strengthen its community conservation work and provide a foundation for peaceful coexistence. I developed an approach that integrates the CCT platform (Human Wildlife Conflict Collaboration) with peacekeeping and experiential learning methodologies, including stakeholder interviews, conflict mapping, direct observations, and customized CCT experiential workshops, to cultivate mutual understanding towards achievement of local conservation objectives. My analysis found that CCT theory and practice has application across multiple conservation disciplines, from managerial to field level. Planning and investing in the appropriate CCT strategy and implementation, including relevant skill-building workshops has important implications for developing an individual’s capacity to understand and address conflict situations. Applying CCT to conservation conflicts can offer new opportunities to build and strengthen relationships between multiple stakeholders and parties in conflict, effectively facilitating the development of innovative, constructive, and collaborative strategies to address social conflicts that are often the root of human-wildlife conflict. Moreover, conservation interventions framed within the CCT model could be an important new paradigm for peacebuilding and development, enabling parties in conflict to build a shared vision through conservation.