Reducing human-wildlife conflict and strengthening coexistence in Southern Africa

Human-wildlife conflict and coexistence (HWCC) is an increasingly critical issue for conservation and rural communities. As human populations encroach into wild areas, conflicts arise, making effective management strategies essential for the safety of both people and wildlife.

The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, which is funded by the European Union, with co-funding from the French Facility for Global Environment and the French Development Agency, has been making significant strides in addressing HWCC through its innovative training of trainer workshops. These workshops exemplify the SWM Programme’s commitment to fostering coexistence between humans and wildlife, particularly in the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), where such conflicts impact both conservation efforts and community livelihoods. 

The KAZA TFCA is a vast and ecologically significant region in Southern Africa, spanning parts of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This region is home to diverse wildlife species, including elephants, lions, leopards, and many others. However, the expansion of human settlements, agricultural activities, and infrastructure development within the KAZA TFCA has fragmented wildlife habitats, further exacerbating human-wildlife conflict.

To address these issues, the SWM Programme hosted a five-day HWCC training workshop in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, following up on a 2023 workshop held in Maun, Botswana. These training workshops demonstrate how the SWM Programme is actively engaging with local communities and stakeholders across Southern Africa.  

Bringing together 20 participants from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the workshop provided a collaborative platform for sharing knowledge and experiences after implementing plans from the initial 2023 training.

Key Insights from the Workshop 

Professor Christo Fabricius , one of the facilitators, highlighted the importance of community empowerment to improve livelihoods: 

Maxwell Phiri emphasized the value of :

Participants shared their experiences implementing plans developed after the first training workshop :

Josias Mwinde had learnt to put communities first,

Conclusion

One of the key takeaways from these training sessions is the acknowledgment that HWCC situations are complex, multi-layered, and dynamic. Each case is unique, with underlying causes that are often difficult to discern and address. This complexity underscores the need for a multi-pronged approach to HWCC management, drawing from various theories, methods, and expertise.

Addressing human-wildlife conflict in the KAZA TFCA is urgently needed as it causes significant economic, social, and environmental impacts for communities and wildlife populations. Addressing these conflicts requires a multifaceted approach, involving wildlife management, community engagement, and sustainable development to balance the needs of people and wildlife in this ecologically important transboundary region.