Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human–Wildlife Conflict at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The inauguration was followed by a National Workshop on Human–Wildlife Conflict, bringing together policymakers, forest officials, scientists, researchers, technology experts, and conservation practitioners to discuss science-based strategies for mitigating human–wildlife conflict (HWC) across India.
Species Most Frequently Involved in Human–Wildlife Conflict
The Centre will particularly focus on conflict involving: Elephants, Leopards, Tigers. These species account for a significant proportion of human–wildlife conflict incidents in India.
Centre of Excellence on Human–Wildlife Conflict (CoE)
It has been established as a national hub for research, innovation, policy support, capacity building, and dissemination of scientific knowledge on the management of human–wildlife conflict.
Location
- Established at the campus of the Wildlife Institute of India – Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
- Wildlife Institute of India (WII): An autonomous institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON): India’s premier national ornithology research centre.
Origin
- Established following the recommendation made during the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife.
- National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is a statutory advisory body constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, providing advice to the Central Government on wildlife conservation and related matters.
Objectives of Centre
The Centre will function as a national knowledge and capacity-building institution by:
- Promoting research and innovation in human–wildlife conflict mitigation.
- Providing scientific and policy support to governments.
- Building the capacity of forest officials and local communities.
- Promoting the use of advanced technologies for monitoring and conflict management.
- Preserving traditional ecological knowledge alongside modern scientific approaches.
- Supporting peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife.
Key Highlights
National Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal
The Ministry also launched National Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal, a digital platform designed to:
- Facilitate nationwide data management.
- Enable knowledge sharing among stakeholders.
- Support evidence-based decision-making.
- Improve conflict mitigation strategies across India.
Publication Released
The Ministry released the first edition of a publication series titled: “Current Status of Human–Wildlife Conflict in India: An Overview”
The publication provides:
- Current status of human–wildlife conflict.
- Emerging trends.
- Major challenges.
- Scientific assessment of conflict scenarios across the country.
National Workshop on Human–Wildlife Conflict
The workshop featured:
- Live demonstration of the Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal.
- Expert presentations.
- Panel discussions on major conflict scenarios.
Major Technical Sessions
- Human–Elephant Conflict
- Human–Big Cat Conflict
- Technology and Innovation for Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation