Representatives from 12 Asian countries will gather in Bangkok, Thailand from February 12th to 15th to discuss human-wildlife conflict, with a particular focus on interactions with Asian elephants and mitigation practices and processes. That was the clear message that emerged as we gathered to learn more about. and HEC management.
Masterclass on Human-Elephant Conflict Prevention and Mitigation is organized by the Asian Partnership for Protected Areas (APAP) in collaboration with the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict Task Force and the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Program Did. It was developed in response to the increasing frequency and severity of human-elephant conflicts across the region. Each year, approximately 600 people die from encounters with elephants, and approximately 400 elephants die from human-caused causes. India and Sri Lanka in particular have disproportionately high human and elephant mortality rates compared to other Asian countries.
Dr Scott Parkin, from the IUCN Regional Office for Asia, explained that the idea for the master class was conceived over a year ago at the APAP Workshop on Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Bhutan. This workshop revealed two very important findings. One is that human-wildlife conflict is widespread across the Asian region. And second, virtually all elephant range countries experience serious conflicts with elephants.
“In fact, elephants appeared so frequently and were identified as a priority by so many participants that it was worth designing a thorough follow-up program focused solely on human-elephant conflict mitigation. I felt that there was,” he said. Dr. Parkin’s welcome address.
Photo: IUCN
Representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the four-day workshop. During the event, participants touched on a wide range of topics including elephant ecology, social psychology, social marketing, HEC intervention, spatial planning, monitoring and evaluation.
Resource personnel conducted sessions using a combination of presentations, case method instruction, and structured group discussions of prepared case studies.
One of the key messages of the masterclass was that successful human-elephant conflict mitigation is complex and requires more than just building fences. A holistic approach is needed that integrates ecology, spatial analysis, and an understanding of human behavior, psychology, attitudes, and social norms. One of the reasons why many HEC interventions fail is that they fail to recognize that conflict is embedded in broader issues of social change.
“We need to try to understand what elephant behaviors and needs are. We can’t just try to address this problem from a human perspective,” said Hunter College assistant professor and founder of Think Elephants International. said Dr. Josh Plotnik, CEO and Executive Director. “Humans and elephants are in many ways equally intelligent and have comparable social and physiological needs. We need to come up with solutions that can take both elephant and human perspectives into account.”
The workshop also included a field trip to Kui Buri National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, where various innovative HEC approaches are being implemented. These include developing real-time early warning systems, creating rapid response forces, enhancing habitat within parks, and creating multi-stakeholder forums. This visit, which took place on the third day, allowed participants to reflect on what they had learned and apply the insights gained during the first two days of the workshop.
Photo: IUCN
On the final day of the workshop, participants had the opportunity to apply what they had learned, working in groups to design HEC strategies and frameworks for their respective countries.
“One of the things that I found very interesting about this masterclass is that we can learn a lot from other countries. Each country has different ways of mitigating and preventing HEC. I think some of the strategies can be applied to Vietnam and adopted at the national level,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, Wildlife Program Director at Humane Society International.
The Asian Partnership for Protected Areas (APAP) is designed as a key platform to help governments and other stakeholders work together to more effectively manage protected areas in the region. The partnership began at the first Asian Parks Congress in Japan in 2013 and was officially launched the following year at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Australia. It is chaired by IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and co-chaired by a rotating group of his APAP affiliates, including Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. Currently, the South Korean Ministry of the Environment serves as co-chair.
