Human-wildlife conflict
Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is defined as struggles that emerge when the presence or behaviour of wildlife poses an actual or perceived, direct and recurring threat to human interests or needs, leading to disagreements between groups of people and negative impacts on people and/or wildlife (IUCN SSC HWCCSG). HWC is becoming more frequent, serious and widespread because of human population growth, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, climate change and other drivers of habitat loss. In some cases, successes in species recovery have resulted in creating new HWC. In many regions of the world, HWC currently ranks amongst the major threats to the survival of many endangered species as well as the security, well-being and livelihoods of communities living next to wildlife. This can fuel negative sentiments towards conservation, especially when new protected areas are established or existing protected areas are expanded.
FAO's Involvement
FAO supports Members in enhancing HWC management by:
- Facilitating cross-sectoral dialogues and fostering collaboration among forestry, wildlife, agriculture, livestock, and other pertinent sectors at national, regional, and local levels.
- Offering policy and technical guidance to key government stakeholders through position statements and policy briefs.
- Developing guidance on best practices, utilizing case studies, outreach initiatives, and communication materials to disseminate valuable insights.
- Providing technical guidelines for the formulation and revision of national policies and legal frameworks.
- Implementing on-the-ground field activities to practically address and manage HWC challenges.
Discover our Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Case Studies
FAO, in collaboration with the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group, has curated a collection of field case studies to capture the diverse approaches undertaken by projects in comprehending, planning, and addressing various facets of HWC situations, all while fostering coexistence between human populations and animals. Spanning across multiple countries, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mali, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia, Germany, the UK, India, Singapore, and others, these case studies offer valuable insights into the global efforts to navigate the complexities of human-wildlife interactions and manage HWC.
International policy framework
The CBD’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in December 2022, is groundbreaking in explicitly including Human-Wildlife Conflict under Target 4. This marks a historic moment as it obligates the 196 Parties to the CBD to address HWC in national legislation and policy. To monitor progress, the Parties have adopted a Monitoring Framework with indicators for each target. While the indicator for HWC is included, an effective measurement approach for the HWC component is yet to be developed. The FAO is actively participating in this process, contributing to the development of the framework for the HWC Indicator, led by the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group.
Discover more through our case studies
Managing the return of a charismatic species in an urban environment
2024
The case study comes from Singapore, a city-state in southeast Asia that has undergone large-scale urbanisation. In the late 1990s, otters started being...
Preserving and nurturing deeply interconnected cultural relationships to facilitate coexistence
2024
This case study comes from the Dibang Valley, the ancestral homeland of the Idu Mishmi people. This case study covers the historical background to the...
Facilitating a transboundary governmental approach to address threats to a species
2024
This case study delves into the transformative efforts of the global snow leopard and ecosystems protection program (GSLEP) towards fostering unity...
Understanding cultural narratives to avoid misinterpreting a human-wildlife conflict situation
2024
The case study comes from the Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau and aims at exploring the human-wildlife interface and the people-park interface...
Providing community support after traumatic incidents
2023
Between 2013-2016, a series of shark-human interactions occurred on the coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, that led to a number of surfer fatalities....
Using traditional governance systems to manage competition over natural resources
2023
This case study cover the Gourma region of Mali, where a small population of approximately 350 “desert-adapted” African elephants undertake an annual...
Investigating the potential and economic feasibility for a compensation in advance scheme
2023
This case study focuses on one activity of the project in the Upper Lusatia in Saxony, one of Germany's largest pond regions, consisting of around 1000...
Developing a management plan while balancing divergent stakeholder objectives
2023
This case study originates from northeast Scotland, there has been a history of conflict between seal conservation and salmon fisheries in the Moray...
Integrating community response and stewardship to deescalate conflict situations
2023
This case study comes from Uttar Pradesh, state with nearly 200 million people and four tiger reserves, which provide essential protected habitats for...
Highlights
Addressing the human-wildlife conflict to improve people’s livelihoods
2021
FAO’s work on human-wildlife conflict is an integral part of the Wildlife and Protected Areas Management Programme, and it aims to contribute to the...
Human-wildlife conflict in Africa - Causes, consequences and management strategies
2009
This publication was compiled to facilitate the coexistence of humans and wildlife and assist affected communities in applying best management practices....