Mapping human‒wildlife conflict hotspots in a transboundary landscape, Eastern Himalaya

Sharma, Prashanti; Chettri, Nakul; Uddin, Kabir; Wangchuk, Kesang; Joshi, Rajesh; Tandin, Tandin; Pandey, Aseesh; Gaira, Kailash S.; Basnet, Khadga; Wangdi, Sonam; Dorji, Tashi; Wangchuk, Namgay; Chitale, Vishwas; Sharma, Eklabya

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01284

Cited by 53 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…It also highlights snakebite as an intersection between epidemiology, ecology, and conservation, and the need to consider transdisciplinary approaches. Lastly, promising models of other human-wildlife conflicts have been created using machine learning algorithms at fine spatial scales ( Sharma et al, 2020 ). Broader application of these existing, successful approaches or integration of benefits from each of them into a more complex human-snake conflict framework requires exploration.…”

Section: The Missing Link: How Do Humans and Snakes Interact To Create Spatio-temporal Patterns In Snakebite Incidencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Certain crop expansion and changes in farming practices could lead to increased snakebite prevalence, while mechanization of farming practices could, conversely, reduce exposure to snakes. Human-wildlife conflict also often increases with deforestation ( Lamarque et al, 2009 ; Schneider et al, 2021 ) and in border-country to remnant forests and protected areas ( Hansson et al, 2013 ; Sharma et al, 2020 ) because animals are forced to leave their natural habitat and use anthropogenic landscapes. For species that are incapable of using anthropogenic landscapes, this might lead to decreases in suitable habitat and short term increases in human encounters as they search for new suitable habitat ( Acharya et al, 2017 ; Distefano, 2005 ).…”

Section: A Changing World: the Effect Of Land Use Change And Climate Change On Human-snake Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Addressing the global snakebite crisis with geo-spatial analyses – Recent advances and future direction

et al. 2021

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Venomous snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that annually leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths or long-term physical and mental ailments across the developing world. Insufficient data on spatial variation in snakebite risk, incidence, human vulnerability, and accessibility of medical treatment contribute substantially to ineffective on-ground management. There is an urgent need to collect data, fill knowledge gaps and address on-ground management problems. The use of novel, and transdisciplinary approaches that take advantage of recent advances in spatio-temporal models, ‘big data’, high performance computing, and fine-scale spatial information can add value to snakebite management by strategically improving our understanding and mitigation capacity of snakebite. We review the background and recent advances on the topic of snakebite related geospatial analyses and suggest avenues for priority research that will have practical on-ground applications for snakebite management and mitigation. These include streamlined, targeted data collection on snake distributions, snakebites, envenomings, venom composition, health infrastructure, and antivenom accessibility along with fine-scale models of spatio-temporal variation in snakebite risk and incidence, intraspecific venom variation, and environmental change modifying human exposure. These measures could improve and ‘future-proof’ antivenom production methods, antivenom distribution and stockpiling systems, and human-wildlife conflict management practices, while simultaneously feeding into research on venom evolution, snake taxonomy, ecology, biogeography, and conservation.

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Section: The Missing Link: How Do Humans and Snakes Interact To Create Spatio-temporal Patterns In Snakebite Incidencementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Changing World: the Effect Of Land Use Change And Climate Change On Human-snake Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the global snakebite crisis with geo-spatial analyses – Recent advances and future direction

et al. 2021

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“…The interactions between wildlife and human beings have often resulted in agonistic behavior and conflicts (König et al., 2020 ; Nyhus, 2016 ). While instances of human–wildlife conflict (HWC) date back to prehistoric times (Berger & McGraw, 2007 ; Gordon, 2009 ), its severity and complexity have increased in the current era (Madden, 2004 ; Sharma et al., 2020 ). The animals are known to launch lethal attacks on humans, damage property, raid crops, and kill livestock; on the contrary, humans indulge in retaliatory killings, hunting, and poaching—and these could even involve endangered or keystone wildlife species, thereby posing a threat to biodiversity and imposing legal issues on humans (Peterson et al., 2010 ; White & Ward, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The loss of the region's core forest areas meant a reduction in the dispersal ability of wildlife in their home ranges, thereby forcing them to move into human territory (Acharya et al., 2017 ). In the HKH, this problem is rather prominent in India, Nepal, and Bhutan in the form of crop‐raiding monkeys and human‐eating tigers (Sharma et al., 2020 ). In Nepal, for example, between the years 2010 and 2014, on average, as many as 115 people were attacked annually by large mammals such as the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ), the Royal Bengal tiger, the Asian black bear ( Ursus thibetanus ), and the common leopard (Acharya et al., 2016 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human–wildlife conflict in the roof of the world: Understanding multidimensional perspectives through a systematic review

Sharma

Chettri

Wangchuk

2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Human–wildlife conflicts have intensified by many folds and at different levels in recent years. The same is true in the case of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), the roof of the world, and a region known for its wealth in biodiversity. We present a systematic literature review (SLR) using the search, appraisal, synthesis, and analysis (SALSA) framework; and for spatial and network analysis, we employed the VOSviewer software. The review—covering 240 peer—articles within a span of 27 years (from 1982 to 2019)—revealed that in the last decade, there was a 57% increase in publications but with a disproportionate geographical and thematic focus. About 82% of the research concentrated on protected areas and large carnivores and mega herbivores played a big role in such conflicts. About 53% of the studies were based on questionnaires, and the main driver reported was habitat disturbance of animals due to land‐cover change, urbanization, and increase in human population. On the management front, the studies reported the use of traditional protection techniques like guarding and fencing. Our analysis of 681 keywords revealed a prominent focus on ‘human‐wildlife conflict,’ ‘Nepal,’ ‘Bhutan,’ ‘Snow Leopard,’ and ‘Leopard’ indicating the issue linked with these species and countries. The involvement of 640 authors from 36 countries indicates increasing interest, and Nepal and India are playing key roles in the region. As for the spatial analysis that was conducted, while it showed regional variations, there were conspicuous limitations in terms of having a transboundary focus. Thus, particular attention ought to be paid to building transboundary partnerships and improving management interventions; there is also a pressing need to understand the patterns of human–wildlife convergence, especially involving meso‐mammals.

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“…An adequate knowledge of distribution, including associated environmental and anthropogenic variables, further enables appropriate modeling to predict additional areas where dholes are likely to occur, both within and outside protected areas, as recently demonstrated by Thinley et al (2021) for the tiger in Bhutan. Because dholes are prominently linked to livestock predation in Bhutan (Thinley et al, 2011;Katel et al, 2015;Rajaratnam et al, 2016), determining and modeling their distribution further enables an identification of potential human-wildlife conflict hotspots to prioritize mitigation efforts (Sharma et al, 2020). Juxtaposing conflict hotspots and habitat protection against the current and predicted dhole distribution can provide the spatial framework to develop an appropriate dhole conservation plan for Bhutan.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conserving an Endangered Canid: Assessing Distribution, Habitat Protection, and Connectivity for the Dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Bhutan

Thinley¹,

Rajaratnam²,

Kamler³

et al. 2021

Front. Conserv. Sci.

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Most canids face population declines and range contractions worldwide. Although the dhole (Cuon alpinus) is widely distributed across 10 countries in South and Southeast Asia, limited studies exist on this species. Despite its globally “Endangered” status and ecological role as an apex predator, assessments on its distribution are limited to a few landscapes and countries. This explains the lack of a dhole-specific species conservation plan in most range countries, including Bhutan where no current population estimate exists. The species has also recovered from a country-wide poisoning campaign in the 1970s and 80s. In this study, we determine the dhole's distribution pattern and assess the protection and connectivity of dhole habitat in Bhutan. We anticipated dholes to be extant within their habitat well-represented in protected areas (PAs) and biological corridors (BCs). We used 721 georeferenced dhole occurrence records and eight environmental variables in MaxEnt software to model potential dhole distribution and habitat suitability. The model output was overlaid on the spatial layers of PAs and BCs to assess habitat protection and connectivity. As anticipated, we found the dhole widely distributed in all districts, PAs, and BCs in Bhutan. Dholes were recorded at the highest elevation range limit of 4,980 m above sea level, which overlapped with the “Vulnerable” snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Our model identified 72% (27,634 km2) of the country as suitable areas for dholes, of which, 31% (11,899 km2) was highly suitable and 41% (15,735 km2) was moderately suitable. Contrary to our expectation, PAs and BCs encompassed only 29% (8,046 km2) and 12% (3,185 km2) of suitable areas for dholes, respectively. A vast majority of the areas we deemed suitable for dholes currently remain unprotected, thus making dholes more vulnerable to human persecution and local extermination. We recommend adjusting PA boundaries to fully encompass suitable dhole habitat, and also advocate improved livestock husbandry to reduce dhole related livestock predation and minimize conflict, thereby ensuring its long-term survival in Bhutan.

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Mapping human‒wildlife conflict hotspots in a transboundary landscape, Eastern Himalaya

Cited by 53 publications

References 53 publications

Addressing the global snakebite crisis with geo-spatial analyses – Recent advances and future direction

Addressing the global snakebite crisis with geo-spatial analyses – Recent advances and future direction

Human–wildlife conflict in the roof of the world: Understanding multidimensional perspectives through a systematic review

Conserving an Endangered Canid: Assessing Distribution, Habitat Protection, and Connectivity for the Dhole (Cuon alpinus) in Bhutan

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