Anisha Pokharel

Reducing human-wildlife conflict in natural, agricultural and urban landscapes across boundaries

The project aims are to examine how cross-boundary collaboration can impact conservation, especially of large wildlife in agricultural and natural areas, and can help mitigate human-wildlife conflict. The project will study large threatened native mammals in the Indian sub-continent, which cross borders on a regular basis as part of their human range and activity, such as native rhino, elephants, and other large mammals that interact with humans. We will map and quantify hotspots of human-wildlife conflict and will study variation in human-wildlife conflict over space and time in urban, agricultural and natural landscapes. Conflict with large wildlife around damage to crops and property threaten both human livelihood, income and wildlife and since these large animals move across boundaries, coordination across international and state boundaries is required in order to efficiently mitigate conflicts and their impacts. The study will provide an important contribution to better understanding and prioritising action across boundaries benefiting both wildlife conservation and reduced conflict. The study will combine fieldwork focused on mammals, surveys with local community members, such as farmers, and study of conflict and collaboration with urban, agricultural and natural ecosystem scientists and practitioners, with whom we have already established ties and collaborations in the region, including both in India and in Nepal, where our industry partner is based.