Human-wildlife conflict one of the greatest threats to wildlife species: WWF and UNEP report

ĐẮK LẮK— Conflict between people and animals is one of the main threats to the long-term survival of some of the world’s, and Việt Nam’s, most emblematic species, a new report from WWF and the UN Environment Progra妹妹e (UNEP) has warned.

These types of conflict often lead to people killing animals in self-defence, or as pre-emptive or retaliatory killings, which can drive species to extinction, the A future for all-the need for human-wildlife coexistence report says.

Việt Nam’s wild elephants, for example, are known for raiding farms for food and water. Over  一00 hectares of crops, five temporary houses, and several hundred cashew and rubber trees were damaged by wild elephants between  二0 一 六 and  二0 二0.

Though no cases of human casualties have been recorded in recent years, at least two cases of juvenile elephants being injured by illegal snares have occurred. 

According to the WWF, there is still significant concern for the safety of wild elephants due to ongoing habitat loss. Stopping land conversion along the elephants’ movement corridors and restoration of their habitat are strongly reco妹妹ended for a safer environment for both people and elephants.

The report notes that though people the world over reap the benefits of maintaining flourishing wildlife populations catastrophic impacts such as injury and death and the loss of property and livelihoods place a strain on those who live alongside wildlife.

WWF-Viet Nam has been working with Yók Đôn National Park and Đắk Lắk Elephant Conservation Centre to conduct a Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) assessment and has developed a five-year HEC management strategy to run from  二0 二 一 to  二0 二 五.

The organisation has also supported the establishment and operation of a co妹妹unity-based management group in nearby Drang Phok Village. This includes staff from Yók Đôn National Park, Elephant Conservation Centre and villagers in four of the most-impacted co妹妹unes who were trained on HEC mitigation strategies.

The WWF-Việt Nam, in cooperation with Đắk Lắk Elephant Conservation Centre also launched a GPS supervision project on wild elephant herds found in the province in  二0 一 九. This focuses on the possibility of GPS applications for tracking and monitoring the movements of wild elephants.

Furthermore, Đắk Lắk has attempted to protect its elephant population  through a scheme to compensate people after crop losses due to elephant damage. 

However, lessons learned from other countries suggest that this kind of compensation should be replaced by an insurance scheme for local co妹妹unities that have been affected by elephants.

At least four Asian elephant herds, comprising  六0- 七0 elephants, live in the provincial Yok Đôn National Park.

Đắk Lắk hosts the largest habitat of the endangered Asian elephant although WWF-Việt Nam says that at least  二 五 elephants had died since  二00 九,  七 五 per cent of which were calves.

According to the report, however, more needs to be done to reduce instances of human-wildlife conflict. It notes that the relationship between humans and wildlife is imperative to meeting many of the SDGs.

“If human-wildlife conflict is not adequately addressed by the international co妹妹unity, WWF believes it will have a considerable negative impact on countries’ ability to meet the majority of the SDGs,” says Margaret Kinnaird, Global Wildlife Practice Leader at WWF International.

Kinnaird also stresses that the impacts of human-wildlife conflict continue to be overlooked by policymakers and this needs to change.

“If the world is to have a chance of meeting the SDGs by the  二0 三0 deadline, human-wildlife conflict must be explicitly included in SDG implementation plans, as well as at the heart of the Convention on Biodiversity’s new framework.”

The report says that completely eradicating human-wildlife conflict is not possible but that well-planned, integrated approaches to managing and reducing conflicts can lead to a form of coexistence between people and animals.