Across the Tanzania-Kenya borderlands, rural pastoralists share the arid lands they use for livestock grazing and arable agriculture with highly threatened wildlife species, such as elephants and African lions. The competition between people and wildlife for shared resources is further compounded by an ever-increasing human population and spread of cultivation. At the same time, many lands outside of protected areas continue to function as... [ view more ]
Across the Tanzania-Kenya borderlands, rural pastoralists share the arid lands they use for livestock grazing and arable agriculture with highly threatened wildlife species, such as elephants and African lions. The competition between people and wildlife for shared resources is further compounded by an ever-increasing human population and spread of cultivation. At the same time, many lands outside of protected areas continue to function as important wildlife habitat and migratory corridors for large mammals.
This continued expansion and encroachment has led to a struggle between wildlife conservation, agricultural development and food security. Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC), due to crop destruction by elephants and livestock predation by lions, has a significant negative impact on individual financial stability and fuels negative views of conservation. Not only does HWC adversely affect rural development, but also exerts increased pressures on already threatened wildlife populations. For example, in the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro ecosystem, the number of elephant deaths as a result of HWC is now as significant, if not more so, than losses through poaching.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) East Africa, through the Planning for Resilience in East Africa through Policy Adaption, Research and Economic Development (PREPARED), is working with conservation organizations in Tanzania and Kenya to develop community-based best practices for HWC programs. The goal is to enhance responsiveness to HWC and deter wild animals from raiding farmers’ crops and from preying upon pastoralists’ livestock, thereby removing the major factors for community hostility toward vulnerable wildlife.
Several deterrent methods are being piloted including a Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) Toolkit comprised of a mobile application technology and simple tools (bullhorn, light, chili balls) that escalate in deterrence intensity; geo-fences, elephant collaring, and use of UAV’s to track elephants movements and rapidly respond to incidences; Living Walls to protect livestock from predators; and chili fences to deter elephants from destroying farmers’ crops. The realities, challenges and successes of implementing innovative HWC/HEC methods will be presented during this session. [ view less ]
