conflicts Archives - Resilient Landscapes (RL)

Typology of relations between communities and conservation areas: A conceptual framework from a comparative study in the Andean Amazon

Key messages

Despite the importance of relations between communities and conservation areas in achieving effective and sustained conservation outcomes, there are few approaches for understanding and addressing the diversity of these relations – including conflict – and for building collaborative processes based on evidence and knowledge management.
To address that gap, this paper presents a typology of relations with two core components: a comparative matrix and a map of driving forces. It was grounded in a comparative study in the Andean Amazon that analysed 16 cases of relations between communities (Indigenous Peoples, local communities and Afro-descendant Peoples) and conservation area managers (and other relevant government agencies).
The comparative matrix describes four types of relations – conflict, collaboration, coexistence and mutualism – across six dimensions and strategies/responses.
The map of driving forces represents how each type of relation is shaped by the interaction among strengthened capacities, alignment of interests and quality of engagement.
These components could provide a basis for participatory diagnostic and planning tools. This, in turn, would enable the different actors in conservation areas to better understand their relations around topics that are important to communities and conservation areas. In this way, they could identify pathways towards more collaborative, inclusive and evidence-based governance.

Comparative analysis of relations between communities and conservation areas in the Andean Amazon: Findings from 16 case studies using a proposed typology of relations

Key messages

This is the second of two briefs that compare 16 cases in the Andean Amazon to understand relations between conservation authorities and communities. The first brief “Typology of relations between communities and conservation areas: A conceptual framework from a comparative study in the Andean Amazon ” builds the conceptual framework; this brief applies it to identify emerging patterns across the cases.
The brief examines four types of relations (conflict and tension, coexistence, collaboration and mutualism) across six dimensions: land/resource rights, livelihoods, decision making, communication, institutional capacity and community capacity/cohesion.
Conflict and tension are most consistently associated with misalignment around land/resource rights and livelihoods, especially where conservation is perceived as restricting access without credible alternatives.
Coexistence is common across the cases but tends to be shallow and fragile, often persisting in contexts of limited engagement and weak institutional capacity.
Collaboration emerges where communities have meaningful roles in decision making and where engagement is structured, routine and linked to concrete actions.
Mutualism is rare and context specific, occurring where conservation reinforces territorial governance, engagement reflects shared authority and capacities on both sides support long-term implementation.
Unpacking relations by analysing their dimensions provides a way to understand the driving forces behind relations: it can inform the design of context-specific strategies and it can guide the targeting of limited resources for the most effective outcomes.
A central practical takeaway is to strengthen the three driving forces together: shared interests (rights/livelihoods), better engagement (influence, transparency, problem solving) and sufficient capacity (to follow through). Dialogue without material change can backfire and create ‘participation fatigue’.

Balancing act: navigating increasing human-wildlife conflict amidst megafauna recovery in the tropical lowlands of Nepal

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) involving megafauna is a global conservation concern. In the tropical lowlands of Nepal (Terai), the megafauna populations are increasing due to successful conservation efforts, introducing the potential for greater HWC. We analyzed the spatio-temporal trend of reported HWC incidents from 2013 to 2022 in the buffer zones of Bardia and Chitwan National Parks in the Terai. Of the total 14,989 reported HWC incidents, crop raiding (n = 8,129) and livestock depredation (n = 4,611) were the most common. Elephants were responsible for 42.8% of all incidents. Total HWC incidents increased over the 10-year period, and there was a significant association between total population estimates of rhino and tiger and total HWC incidents involving those species. At the site level, this association held except for rhino HWC in Bardia. Similarly, incidents of livestock depredation driven by leopard and tiger, and crop damage incidents from elephant, rhino, and boar, increased over the study period. In contrast, property damage—exclusively by elephants—remained relatively stable in Chitwan but decreased in Bardia, possibly reflecting seasonal and transboundary movement patterns of elephants, or the effectiveness of targeted mitigation measures that have reduced elephant intrusions into settlements. Conflict hotspots—defined as the wards in the top quantile of HWC incidents—indicated priority areas for focused mitigation and remedial efforts. Habitat restoration in the buffer zones and corridors outside PAs could potentially mitigate HWC, but it might simultaneously export HWC to new areas outside the PAs. Targeted community-based mitigation measures should be implemented in the peak raiding periods, and predator-proof sheds would reduce livestock losses; both initiatives require substantial external financial support. Finally, the widespread adoption of livestock insurance that responds to spatiotemporal risk should be considered, along with funding and coordination by government and conservation organizations. Overall, the evidence suggests that successful megafauna conservation may be associated with increased HWC. Nevertheless, our findings offer practical insights to guide species-specific conflict mitigation and HWC management in tropical landscapes where megafauna populations are recovering, and conflicts are intensifying.

Night Lighting and Domestic Dogs Reduce Livestock Depredation Risk in the Tropical Lowlands of Nepal

Increasing livestock depredation by recovering large carnivore populations undermines local support for long-term conservation. Past studies on livestock depredation have primarily focused on biophysical predictors, often overlooking the role of household-level husbandry and protection practices in shaping depredation risk. We used multivariate logistic regression models on a database of 1180 households (including 597 livestock depredation events) from the tropical lowlands of Nepal to identify predictors of livestock depredation by tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) and leopards (Panthera pardus). In line with previous research, models reported significant biophysical and livestock husbandry predictors of depredation risk, which are intrinsic geospatial and livelihood variables and unlikely to respond to interventions. In addition, we found novel evidence that the low-cost protection strategies of fixed night lighting and domestic dog ownership significantly lowered the odds of small livestock depredation. With careful implementation, these two mitigation measures have the potential to reduce livestock depredation risk and contribute to human–wildlife coexistence.

Wild animal attacks and other occupational risks perceived by Indigenous hunters and fishers in the Yangambi landscape

Hunting and fishing support diverse food systems in tropical forest areas, but carry serious occupational risks. Health and safety at work is important to human wellbeing and constitutes an element of Indigenous rights. This issue has received attention in the regulated sector, but needs additional focus in subsistence and informal economies. We draw on semi-structured interviews with Turumbo hunters and fishers in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve region (DRC) to assess perceptions of occupational risk, especially attacks from wild animals. Fishers were concerned about drowning and cuts, while hunters cited bad weather and injuries from faulty equipment. There was gender-specific perception of risk from wild animals that reflected different roles: women noted snake bites and wasps, while men feared larger animals. Retaliatory behaviors among respondents included killing various species. The risks associated with fishing and hunting in tropical forests should be addressed in policies that consider the wellbeing of the poor.

Human-elephant conflict hotspots in Assam: a rapid appraisal method

In India, human-elephant conflict has been on the rise for the last few decades. The situation is worse in the state of Assam, where 5719 elephants are present, and the density of elephants is greater than that of other areas. Most of the elephant habitats in the state are fragmented or intermingled with human-used lands. As a result, human-elephant conflict (HEC) has been increasing in the state. Each year, an average of 80 elephants and 70 humans die in the state because of HEC. Most of these conflicts occur during the paddy harvesting season. At that time of year, the elephants come out from their habitats and take refuge in forest patches and tea gardens near agricultural fields and raid crops at night. Different methods have been adopted to identify conflict-affected areas, but none of the studies have tried to identify all the HEC-affected areas in the state. Here, we provide a rapid appraisal approach for identifying HEC hotspots in the state by using published news information as the primary source of data. A total of 216 villages were identified as HEC-affected areas in Assam. The identified areas can be used to understand site-specific problems and for HEC mitigation practices, as these areas are currently limited to only a few areas.

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