Human-Animal Conflict

In News

• Recently, a Standing Committee suggested that the Environment Ministry must constitute an advisory body of experts to tackle growing instances of human-animal conflict.

Key Points 

• The report analysed the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 tabled in the Lok Sabha in December 2021. 
• The report recommends an HAC Advisory Committee to be headed by the Chief WildLife Warden, who can consult the committee to act appropriately.
• Advisory body would be packed with official members, exercise all powers of the SBWL and take decisions independent of the SBWL itself and end up being a rubber stamp for faster clearances of projects.
• Standing Committee of the State Board for Wild Life (SBWL): One of the clauses proposed by the Ministry was to have a SBWL to make the functioning of the advisory body “more purposive”.
  • A wildlife standing committee is usually a subset of members that reports to a wider Wildlife Board, in the case of States headed by the Chief Minister, and in charge of executing day-to-day matters.

Human-animal Conflict

• About: 
  • It refers to the interaction between wild animals and humans which results in a negative impact on people, animals, resources, and habitats. 
  • It occurs when growing human populations overlap with established wildlife territory which creates competition for space and resources.
  • Conflicts between the man and animal have occurred since the dawn of humanity. However, it has come to light ever more frequently in recent times.
• Causes of Man-animal conflict:
  • In modern times rapid urbanization and industrialisation have led to the diversion of forest land to non-forest purposes, as a result, the wildlife habitat is shrinking. 
  • The expansion of road and rail network through forest ranges has resulted in animals getting killed or injured in accidents on roads or railway tracks.
  • The increasing population has also led to many human settlements coming up near the peripheries of protected areas and encroachment in the forest lands by local people for cultivation and collection of food and fodder etc. therefore increasing pressure on limited natural resources in the forests.
• Repercussions of this conflict:
  • Injury and loss of life of humans and wildlife,  crop damage,  livestock depredation,  predation of managed wildlife stock, damage to human property,  destruction of habitat, the collapse of wildlife populations and reduction of geographic range.

Preventive Measures

• Surveillance: Increased vigilance and protection of identified locations using hi-tech surveillance tools like sensors can help in tracking the movement of animals and warn the local population.
• Improvement of habitat-:In-situ and ex-situ habitat conservation measures will help in securing animals their survival.
• Re-locating of animal habitats away from residential and commercial centres will serve to minimize animal-man conflict for illegal and self-interested motives
• Awareness Programmes: To create awareness among people and sensitize them about the Do’s and Don’ts in the forest areas to minimize the conflicts between man and animal.
• Training programs: Training to the police offices and local people should be provided for this purpose and the forest department should frame guidelines.
• Boundary walls: The construction of boundary walls and solar fences around the sensitive areas to prevent the wild animal attacks. 
• Technical and financial support: For the development of necessary infrastructure and support facilities for immobilization of problematic animals through tranquilization, their translocation.
• Crop insurance should be provided in the event of destruction by wild animals.
• Part of CSR: Safeguarding Tiger corridors, building eco-bridges and such conservation measures can be part of corporate social responsibility.

Way Ahead

• A wildlife standing committee with few members and in-depth technical knowledge for evolving effective site-specific plans/ mitigation strategies including recommendations on changing cropping patterns and for taking critical decisions at short notice, empowered under the law, is necessary.
• A body should be constituted having at least one-third of the non-official members of the SBWL, at least three institutional members and the Director of the Wildlife Institute of India or his/ her nominee.
• The controversial clause in the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 that allows the “transfer and transport” of live elephants while recommending that the government could bring in additional checks to allow sale and purchase by religious institutions, should be amended.
• The well-planned, integrated approaches to managing human-wildlife conflict can reduce conflicts and lead to a form of coexistence between people and animals.

Source: TH