Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, Zimbabwe
The conflict between humans and wildlife can result in negative impacts on both parties and hinder conservation efforts. By predicting how conflict risks may change with a growing agricultural sector and human population under a changing climate, policymakers can effectively allocate resources for m...
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Noyam Journals
2024-10-01
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| Series: | E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/EHASS202451328.pdf |
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| author | Ndlovu Joram Douglas Nyathi |
| author_facet | Ndlovu Joram Douglas Nyathi |
| author_sort | Ndlovu Joram |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The conflict between humans and wildlife can result in negative impacts on both parties and hinder conservation efforts. By predicting how conflict risks may change with a growing agricultural sector and human population under a changing climate, policymakers can effectively allocate resources for mitigating and conserving conflict-prone species and regions. This study investigated the drivers of human-elephant conflict in Lupane, Zimbabwe, emphasizing the role of climate change and variability. Using an ethnographic approach informed by the sustainable livelihoods framework and political ecology, it examined how changing climatic conditions, such as water shortages, rising temperatures, and diminishing grazing, exacerbate conflicts between humans and elephants. These challenges have led to increased human intrusion into elephant territories, driven by collapsing rain-fed agriculture and a need for diversification into forestry-based livelihoods. The consequences of this conflict have been severe, resulting in injuries, deaths, damage to crops and infrastructure, economic losses, and food insecurity for affected households. As human populations grow and the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, the risk and geographical spread of human-elephant conflict are expected to escalate. The study highlights the importance of understanding these dynamics to inform policymakers in resource allocation for conflict mitigation and conservation efforts. It also critiques existing institutional support systems for addressing human-elephant conflict, assessing their climate sensitivity. To enhance sustainability, the research advocates for integrating empirical data on human-wildlife coexistence into international conservation policies and developing comprehensive, long-term strategies at a transboundary level, particularly in the context of climate change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df73fdb97a4242d3ab3091e6a91b4ad6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2720-7722 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Noyam Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-df73fdb97a4242d3ab3091e6a91b4ad62025-01-06T11:41:47ZengNoyam JournalsE-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences2720-77222024-10-0151323822397https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451328Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, ZimbabweNdlovu Joram0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4021-8322Douglas Nyathi 1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1310-627X School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Howard College, Durban, South Africa School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South AfricaThe conflict between humans and wildlife can result in negative impacts on both parties and hinder conservation efforts. By predicting how conflict risks may change with a growing agricultural sector and human population under a changing climate, policymakers can effectively allocate resources for mitigating and conserving conflict-prone species and regions. This study investigated the drivers of human-elephant conflict in Lupane, Zimbabwe, emphasizing the role of climate change and variability. Using an ethnographic approach informed by the sustainable livelihoods framework and political ecology, it examined how changing climatic conditions, such as water shortages, rising temperatures, and diminishing grazing, exacerbate conflicts between humans and elephants. These challenges have led to increased human intrusion into elephant territories, driven by collapsing rain-fed agriculture and a need for diversification into forestry-based livelihoods. The consequences of this conflict have been severe, resulting in injuries, deaths, damage to crops and infrastructure, economic losses, and food insecurity for affected households. As human populations grow and the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, the risk and geographical spread of human-elephant conflict are expected to escalate. The study highlights the importance of understanding these dynamics to inform policymakers in resource allocation for conflict mitigation and conservation efforts. It also critiques existing institutional support systems for addressing human-elephant conflict, assessing their climate sensitivity. To enhance sustainability, the research advocates for integrating empirical data on human-wildlife coexistence into international conservation policies and developing comprehensive, long-term strategies at a transboundary level, particularly in the context of climate change.https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/EHASS202451328.pdfconflictclimate changeelephantslivelihoodsconservation |
| spellingShingle | Ndlovu Joram Douglas Nyathi Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, Zimbabwe E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences conflict climate change elephants livelihoods conservation |
| title | Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, Zimbabwe |
| title_full | Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, Zimbabwe |
| title_fullStr | Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, Zimbabwe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, Zimbabwe |
| title_short | Complexities of Conflict: Climate Change, Elephants and Local Livelihoods in Lupane, Zimbabwe |
| title_sort | complexities of conflict climate change elephants and local livelihoods in lupane zimbabwe |
| topic | conflict climate change elephants livelihoods conservation |
| url | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/EHASS202451328.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ndlovujoram complexitiesofconflictclimatechangeelephantsandlocallivelihoodsinlupanezimbabwe AT douglasnyathi complexitiesofconflictclimatechangeelephantsandlocallivelihoodsinlupanezimbabwe |