The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme in Zimbabwe created role-playing games especially for use in Farmer Field Schools. Their primary aim is to learn about human–wildlife conflict (HWC) scenarios alongside the farmers who are most impacted by them. Role-playing games have a lot of potential, especially when the training’s performance objectives involve complex problem-solving. Participants in these games do not just observe; they actively participate in simulations that require group decision-making and interaction. The SWM Programme is funded by the European Union with co-funding from the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) and the French Development Agency (AFD). The initiative is coordinated by a dynamic consortium of four partners, namely the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Tag: conflict
Spatial analysis of human–wildlife conflict reveals a need for mitigation beyond protected area buffer zones in the Nepal Terai
Increasing human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a global concern in the tropical lowlands of Nepal (the Terai), where megafauna populations have been increasing. Despite several site-specific studies quantifying HWC losses and modeling risk, landscape-scale distribution of incidents and the environmental factors shaping conflict risk remain poorly understood. We conducted a landscape-level assessment of HWC from 2018 to 2022 across 2803 Terai wards (smallest administrative units), in which we quantified species-specific patterns of human attacks and livestock depredation, mapped incident densities to identify conflict hotspots, and examined key environmental predictors of conflict occurrence and frequency. Of the 584 human attacks in 187 wards, 67% were caused by elephants, wild boars, and rhinos. Of the 4267 livestock depredation incidents in 211 wards, 99% were caused by leopards and tigers. Hotspots of HWC incidents were concentrated around protected areas (PAs), although they did extend into distant settlements. Of 12 pre-defined environmental predictors, proximity to wildlife habitats (PAs, biological corridors, and larger forest patches) consistently predicted both the occurrence and frequency of incidents, indicating that conflict risk is influenced by habitat connectivity. There is a need to extend conflict mitigation beyond buffer zones to high-risk settlements where wildlife frequently interacts with people, including settlements adjacent to transboundary PAs. Expanding spatially targeted mitigation, wildlife-resilient infrastructure, and awareness into these high-risk settlements will promote human–wildlife coexistence across the broader landscape.
Benefits of forests in Cameroon: global structure, issues involving access and decision-making hiccoughs
Among many other stakes, the economic stake derived from the exploitation of tropical forest resources is a burning issue. This is evidenced by insecurity in intergenerational access to forest resources and financial benefits relating to the latter, on the one hand, and by a deep iniquity at the intra-generational level, on the other hand. The following paper highlights, as a moral, social and policy dilemma, how stakeholders and generations, ‘self-interested’, mark out access to forest resources and to financial benefits relating to the latter. Through intensive participatory research, quantitative data collection, participant observation, future scenarios and some International Forestry Research’s social science methods and interactive games (SSM & IG) based on the evaluation of the sustainability of forest management systems, field research conducted in the forest zone of Cameroon on access to forest resources has generated two central results. Firstly, future generations will be confronted—in a dramatic way—to quantitative and qualitative scarcity of forest resources, following their over exploitation by present generations. Secondly, as concerns the intra-generational access benefits generated by commercial exploitation of forests and the assessment of the circulation of forestry fees, there is much inequity, in as much as those benefits are more profitable to a ‘forestry elite’—‘a self-interested block’—than to local communities, who strongly claim to have historical rights over these forests. As a contribution of social science to public knowledge and to policy development, this article is nourishing ‘rational choice’ and ‘rational egoism’ theory and is targeting decision-making processes in the ever first attempt of forest management decentralization and ‘legal’ benefits sharing in Central Africa (the second largest forest of the World). The article recommends the shortening of the distance between decision-making and beneficiaries, downwardly accountability, ‘bottom-up’ mechanisms of public dialogue in forest management and a collaborative infrastructure in the circulation and the distribution of forest benefits.
Conflits pour les ressources naturelles de la peninsule de Bakassi: du global au local
Assessing rights, means and handicaps
An assessment of social negotiation as a tool of local management: a case study of the Dimako Council Forest, Cameroon
Access to natural resource is governed by competition and conflicts all the over the world. Alternative approaches to conflict resolution require assets provided by social negotiation, mediation and other types of social tools. This paper is based on a case of conflict of access to forest and on the use of social negotiation to solve it. It shows how a facilitation process enabled village communities of East Cameroon to secure a portion of forest in the northern part of the already classified Dimako council forest. The most meaningful result of this case study is the recognition and the rehabilitation, or the validation, of a community-based tool of social negotiation known as palabre traditionnelle (traditional arrangements and mediation), not recognized until now by mainstream science, conventional methodologies, forestry experts and policy makers in Cameroon.
Communicative action to level the playing field in forest plantations in Indonesia
The government of Indonesia allocated state land to private companies to establish forest plantations. However, ownership of this land was contested by some Sumatran communities. The plantation company, endorsed by the government, quickly developed a partnership to resolve the conflict, but this was unclear and inequitable. Action research was carried out to facilitate communication among stakeholders. This communicative action changed some perceptions and shared values began to emerge. A forum was established, which contributed to equitability producing a better partnership. This research is a model for empowering local communities in climate change, bio-energy and food security negotiations.
Conflict mediation in industrial tree plantations in Indonesia: Status and prospects
Key messages
- Mediation is a conflict resolution mechanism that has emerged in countries with lots of conflicts related to land and industrial tree plantations. Its application on the ground, however, has yet to show satisfactory results.
- Mediation can be seen as a part of conflict transformation as it aims at reaching a long-term solution acceptable to all parties.
- There are many approaches to mediation in Indonesia, depending on legal processes and the status of mediators. In turn, this opens the door to mediation through the courts with certified mediators.
- The emergence of mediation and its recognition by the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry is closely linked to the acknowledgment of the presence of ‘conflict’ within the forest domain, which is opposed to the ‘violation of the law’ terminology that was traditionally used.
- Research of a case that stakeholders deemed a success in Jambi province in Sumatra, shows the challenges surrounding the application of conflict mediation, which can be fragile with the possibility of unsustainable outcomes if it does not fulfill its role as a means for conflict resolution.
- The limitations inherent in mediation should not prevent stakeholders in Indonesia from promoting it as an alternative approach in conflict management, from building a legal framework, or from developing experiences and a dynamic mediator network.
What motivates young people in fragile contexts to participate in agriculture and food security programs? Insights from aspirations in Northern Benin
In northern Benin, youth aspirations are shaped by intersecting social, economic, and environmental pressures, including conflict and instability. This study surveyed 309 young men and women across Matéri, Kandi, and Natitingou to explore how these aspirations influence participation in agricultural and food security programs. Three aspiration clusters emerged: immediate needs (Matéri), personal ambitions (Kandi), and social obligations (Natitingou). While aspirations are shaped by basic needs, social norms, and personal goals, a shift toward individual ambition is evident. Conflict fosters self-reliance but erodes trust in institutions, and many youth perceive NGO programs as externally imposed. The findings call for participatory, context-sensitive interventions that align with youth aspirations to foster inclusive rural development in fragile settings.
Conflict in collective forest tenure: Lessons for Peru from a comparative study
Key messages
- In comparison with Indonesia, Uganda and Nepal, Peruvian law provides a weak mandate for tenure reform implementers to address conflict, and Peru has the lowest number of implementing officials stating that addressing conflict is among their responsibilities.
- In the villages studied, Peru reports the highest proportion of villagers involved in land or forest conflicts, the highest proportion with actors external to the community and the lowest portion resolved.
- Despite the legal significance of a land title, collective titling alone does not assure the end of land/forest disputes with outsiders. The state needs to defend the property rights that it has recognized.
- Peru must improve its legal framework for conflict management in land/forest disputes both in and after formalization processes, drawing on state and customary, community or alternative mechanisms.