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https://theconversation.com/conflict-between-humans-and-wildlife-in-tanzania-is-being-poorly-managed-and-climate-change-is-making-things-worse-210332>
"Human-wildlife conflicts are a challenge for authorities in African countries
where people live near protected areas. Programmes for communities to
participate in wildlife tourism and share its benefits have been put forward as
one solution.
Those benefits are substantial in Tanzania. Wildlife tourism is a major source
of foreign revenue for the country. In 2021, the tourism sector generated
US$2.6 billion, or 5.7% of gross domestic product (GDP).
The country’s 2022 Wildlife Conservation Act offers financial and material
compensation for any eligible person negatively affected by human-wildlife
conflict incidents. Between 2012 and 2019, more than 1,000 human-wildlife
mortality cases were reported nationwide, with rural residents forming the
large majority of the victims.
As a sustainability scholar with a research interest in farming and the
environment, I set out to understand the experiences of people who’d been
victims of human-wildlife conflict in Tanzania. In my study, I spoke with
people in the villages of Kiduhi and Mbamba. These two villages share borders
with the Mikumi National Park, the fourth-biggest national park in Tanzania.
I asked them about what drives human-wildlife conflict, in their view, when and
how they experienced it, how it affected their livelihood or well-being, and
what could be done to prevent it in the future.
Incidents of human-wildlife conflict had become common in the two villages, but
I found that the victims’ experiences were underreported. I also found that the
conflict was driven by habitat losses that pushed wild animals from the park to
seek food and water outside. Changing weather patterns also played a role in
tensions between wild animals from the park and residents of Kiduhi and Mbamba.
Other research has linked changing patterns like this to climate change."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
