Tackling conflict and conservation in the Albertine Rift and Lake Victoria Crescent, Uganda

Abstract

Human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) significantly impede achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by negatively impacting livelihoods, food security and overall well-being. Reducing this problem has remained a significant challenge in protected area management. Moreover, the impacts and types of conflict are dynamic and poorly characterised. This study identified wildlife species involved in HWC and explored the potential strategies for mitigating conflicts in and around protected areas in the Albertine Rift and Lake Victoria Crescent in Uganda. Data from 369 randomly sampled participants show that no fewer than 17 wild vertebrate species, including the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiopicus) and olive baboon (Papio anubis), cause HWC in the area. Crop raiding was the most frequently reported type of HWC. All pastoralists stated that they had experienced raiding by wild animals and four fifths of crop farmers reported crop raiding as a conflict they had experienced. The participants mentioned low farm yields, disease transmission and human death as the most common negative effects of HWC and suggested that the negative effects can best be mitigated by erecting physical barriers to deter the raiders. These findings provide valuable insights for protected area management and for the advancement of sustainable development goals.