Conference Agenda

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) frequently results in human and elephant mortality, posing major social justice and conservation concerns across Asia and Africa. While a variety of interventions have been introduced to mitigate HEC, rigorous evaluations of how they affect mortality are practically absent. Using a twenty-year data set from Sonitpur district in Assam, India, we assess whether organized guarding and short-distance drives—which are used to manage HEC in several countries globally—lead to a reduction in human and elephant mortality from conflict as intended. Controlling for changes in land use and economic development, spillover effects, and non-random selection of villages for intervention, we are unable to conclude whether or not organized guarding provides any protection against human death due to HEC. Contrary to expectations, the intervention is associated with an approximately 2.0-2.9 times increase in elephant mortality, with evidence suggesting elephants may be more likely to suffer an accidental death in villages where organized guarding occurs. Our study highlights the indispensability of rigorous evaluations for finding win-win solutions to human-wildlife conflict.