ABSTRACT

Human wildlife conflict (HWC) represents a growing concern for the agro-pastoral community living near protected areas. We investigated the effects of crop damage by wild animals on the food security of local households and explored potential solutions. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 250 households and 21 key informant interviews around the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. Our results revealed that 96% of the respondents had experienced conflicts with wild animals, of which 66% reported rice as a major damaged crop. Annually, 320 kg of rice per household was damaged, which is equivalent to one-third of the annual consumption for each household in the study area. Wild elephants were the key contributors (62%) to this damage. To mitigate HWC, 59% respondents suggested construction of concrete walls around the affected areas. In addition, mobilization of the local community in conservation stewardship helps reduce HWC.

摘要

人类野生动物冲突 (HWC) 代表了生活在保护区附近的农牧社区日益关注的问题。我们调查了野生动物对农作物的破坏对当地家庭粮食安全的影响，并探索了可能的解决方案。数据是通过对尼泊尔 Koshi Tappu 野生动物保护区周围的 250 户家庭和 21 名关键知情人进行的半结构化访谈收集的。我们的研究结果显示，96% 的受访者曾与野生动物发生冲突，其中 66% 的受访者称水稻是主要受损作物。每年每户损失320公斤大米，相当于研究区每户每年消费量的三分之一。野生大象是造成这种损害的主要因素（62%）。为了减轻 HWC，59% 的受访者建议在受影响地区周围建造混凝土墙。此外，动员当地社区参与保护管理有助于减少 HWC。