Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav released 14 guidelines to address Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC), developed under the Indo-German Cooperation

21 Mar, 2023

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav released 14 guidelines to address Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC), developed under the Indo-German project on Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation. Development of a National HWC Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan (HWC-NAP), State-level HWC Mitigation Strategies and Action plans (HWC-SAPs), division-level HWC Management Action Plans (HWC-MAPs), and guidelines for key species and issues are important output areas under this project.

HWC-NAP along with its supplementary frameworks were released by the Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Mr. Ashwini Kumar Choubey along with Mr. Soumitra Dasgupta, former Additional Director General of Forest (Wildlife) during India’s Wildlife Week 2021. A soft copy of the HWC-NAP and supplementary frameworks can be downloaded from the website of the MoEFCC https://moef.gov.in/en/division/forest-divisions-2/wildlife-2/orders-and-releases/.

Guidelines for 10 species-in-conflict and 4 issues were released by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav on March 21st 2023 - Shri Bhupender Yadav releases 14 guidelines for Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation promoting harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife.

The guidelines are advisory in nature and will facilitate further development of site-specific HWC mitigation measures.

The 14 guidelines include:

• 10 species-specific guidelines-
  • Guidelines for Mitigating Human -Elephant, -Gaur, -Leopard, -Snake, -Crocodile, -Rhesus Macaque, -Wild Pig, -Bear, -Blue Bull and -Blackbuck Conflict; and
• 4 guidelines on cross-cutting issues-
  • Guidelines for Cooperation between the Forest and Media sector in India: Towards effective communication on Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
  • Occupational Health and Safety in the Context of Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
  • Crowd Management in Human-Wildlife Conflict Related Situations
  • Addressing Health Emergencies and Potential Health Risks Arising Out of Human—Wildlife Conflict Situations: Taking a One Health Approach.

The development and intended implementation of these guidelines is driven by a harmonious-coexistence approach to ensure that both humans and wild animals are protected from the negative impacts of HWC. These guidelines are strongly driven by field experiences and take into consideration the existing guidelines and advisories issued by various agencies and state forest departments, as well as their good practices, and build on them.

The guidelines provide a framework to take a holistic approach, viz., not only addressing the emergency situations arising due to immediate HWC situations but also addressing the drivers and pressures that lead to HWC, guidance on establishing and managing prevention methods, and reducing the impact of conflict both on humans and wild animals. To facilitate effective implementation of the guidelines in the field, Implementer’s Toolkits are being developed to provide operating procedures (OPs), formats, checklists, and other field implementation aids for the front-line staff.

The preparation of the guidelines followed a participatory, inclusive, and integrated approach involving key relevant stakeholders and sectors including agriculture, veterinary, disaster management, district administration, rural development and Panchayati Raj Institutions, NGOs, and media. National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare specifically contributed to the development stage, health emergencies and OHS guidelines. A total of 105 events- workshops, regional and national consultations, meetings, and field missions were organized, under the Indo-German Project on HWC Mitigation, during August 2018 to February 2022, with more than 1600 participants. An intensive and systematic process of pilot testing of the guidelines was facilitated for the states to test and report on the feasibility and acceptability of the recommendations expressed in the draft guidelines.

This set of guidelines is not a static document; rather, it is a living document, where feedback from field practitioners and other wildlife experts is planned to be analysed to assess the specific elements and sections that need to undergo changes. A review of these guidelines is planned to take place every five years from 2023 onwards.

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About the project

The Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (HWC) project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and State Forest Departments of Karnataka, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The project aims at providing technical support at the national level, and effective implementation of HWC mitigation measures in selected states of India. The project pilot sites are Haridwar Forest Division and adjoining landscape including Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand, Gorumara Wildlife Division in West Bengal, and Kodagu Forest Circle in Karnataka.

The main objective of the project is that the rural population in project areas, where agreed guidelines and tools are applied to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, is better protected against it. The project takes the approach of harmonious coexistence, by ensuring that both—humans and wildlife—are protected from conflict. Read More

For more information contact: biodiv.india@giz.de