Panel - The role of policies in mitigating human-wildlife conflict

The role of policies in mitigating human-wildlife conflict

Human-wildlife conflict is a major threat to both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development and recognized as an increasing issue by governments. Despite this, the level of inclusion of HWC in national policies is limited and few countries have a specific national policy on HWC. The session, organized by the Global Wildlife Program, will present initial findings of a global survey of government perceptions of HWC and an assessment of the current policy landscape for HWC. This will be followed by a panel discussion on how countries are prioritizing HWC in their biodiversity agenda and firsthand experiences of governments (including those participating in the Global Wildlife Program), in developing and implementing national HWC policies. The session will explore how national policies can prevent HWC and promote coexistence and share lessons learned across regions.

Panelists:

Celmira da Silva, National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Mozambique

Rakesh Jagenia, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India

Richard Fryer, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Namibia

Steve Michel, Parks Canada Agency, Canada

Greta F. Iori, Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation

Koustubh Sharma, Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program