Journal
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
Volume 227, Issue -, Pages 383-389Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.07.006
Keywords
Compensation; Human-wildlife conflict; India; Livestock depredation; Wildlife
Funding
- Rufford Grants [20576-B]
- National Geographic Society [B14-13]
- American India Foundation
- Wildlife Conservation Society (USA)
- Wildlife Conservation Society (India)
- Centre for Wildlife Studies
- Duke University
- Oracle
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The effectiveness of compensation payments in mitigating and resolving human-wildlife conflict is globally debated. We examined procedures, types, and payments made for incidents reported in India from 2010 to 2015. Among India's 29 states, 22 (76%) compensated for crop loss, 18 (62%) for property damage, 26 (90%) for livestock depredation, and 28 (97%) for human injury or death. In 2012-2013, a total of 78,656 conflict incidents were reported from 18 states with complete data. Of these incidents, 73.4% were crop loss and property damage, 20% livestock predation, 6.2% human injury, and 0.4% human death. In 2012-2013, payments totalled $5,332,762 (ranging from $0 for no reported incidents in Tripura to $1,956,115 for 36,091 incidents in Karnataka). The average expenditures per incident were $47 for crop and property damage, $74 for livestock, $103 for human injury and $3224 for human death. These numbers underestimate the total extent of conflict because of low reporting rates and unavailability of complete records from all states. We found a lack of policies in some states, while others have low payment amounts along with high transaction costs. Despite a significant Indian government mandate supporting compensation payments in India, there exist inconsistencies in eligibility, application, assessment, implementation, and payment procedures across states. Ensuring that compensation reaches all affected people requires standardizing these processes in a transparent and efficient manner, while also monitoring its perceived benefits to wildlife conservation.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available