Compensation fund for Human-Wildlife Conflict – a step in the right direction

Elephants and other wild animals have caused conflicts with humans whenever they

damage crops and compete with communities at water points.

LAST week’s announcement by the government that it has established a fund for compensating victims of Human-Wildlife Conflict with a one million dollars ($1m) deposit from elephant sales is a giant step in the right direction towards conservation, so tourism.

The Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri stated that the fund requires more money and that arrangements are being made to engage stakeholders to determine the criteria to be used before the victims can be compensated.

This is a timely gesture considering the communities adjacent to national parks in Southern Africa had become warzones of their own kind as far as Human-Wildlife Conflict is concerned.

The Southern Africa region is well known for its rich wildlife base that led to the establishment of peace parks projects commonly known as Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs).

Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas are where national parks of more than one country are merged into one great one. Zimbabwe has The Greater Mapungubwe, Kavango-Zambezi and Great Limpopo TCFAs.

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) describes Human-Wildlife Conflict as “any interaction between humans and wildlife that results in negative impacts on human social, economic or cultural life, on the conservation of wildlife populations, or on the environment.”

From what transpired at a SADC Transboundary Intercommunity Exchange Forum that was held at Nsimbirhi Conference Centre & Great Limpopo Cultural Village, Boli Muhlanguleni in Chiredzi South, the Human-Wildlife Conflict is still a thorn in the flesh.

During the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) funded forum which ran from November 13 to 15, communities pointed fingers at wild authorities (governments and private players) as reluctant to compensate victims of the conflict.

The communities from Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe clearly indicated that humans and wildlife shall always compete for resources and conflicts ensue in areas such as water points, grazing areas, crop fields and livestock.

According to communities, conflicts arise when wild animals damage crops, kill livestock and humans outside protected areas, causes disease outbreak and when officials fail to report issues truthfully to their superiors, lack transparency and accountability.

According to authorities, the conflict is enhanced when communities damage fences, cause veldfires, poach, delay in reporting problem animals, resist resettlement but insist on staying inside protected areas and when they encroach into protected areas and buffer zones.

Traditional leadership which was represented by paramount leader Chief Sengwe and Headman Ngwenyeni of Chiredzi and Chief Mahenye of Chipinge were concern by the bad relationship between national parks staff and their communities.

The chiefs urged consumptive tourism to continue in Zimbabwe for the benefit of their communities when they receive proceeds from spot hunting. They indicated that wild animals always caused loss of investments and human life, so the need for compensation.

Dr Morris Mutsambiwa of Kavango-Zambezi TFCA weighed to the chiefs suggestion saying that the fact that Human-Wildlife Conflict headlined the SADC Forum it was an indicator that animals are still plenty and increasingly causing loss to human well being.

Communities find compensation reasonable when the activity is done based on a country policy on Human-Wildlife Conflict. How can such a policy be adopted? What are the challenges of such a policy? The forthcoming article shall discuss.

#HumanWildlifeConflict #SADC #TransboundarySADCIntercommunityExchangeForum #KavangoZambeziTFCA #TransFrontierConservationArea #Botswana #SouthAfrica #Mozambique #Zimbabwe #GreaterMapungubweTFCA #GreatLimpopoTFCA #SADCGIZ #WorldWideFundforNatureWWF #BoliMuhlanguleni #ChiredziSouth #NsimbirhiConferenceCentreandGreatLimpopoCult