- Summary
- Objectives
- Status
- Project Publications
A landscape-level approach is required for the management of wild elephants. Hosting a rich biodiversity, the Brahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats Landscape (BNEGL) hosts a significant population of the Asian elephants and is important for its conservation. However, various factors such as habitat loss, human population growth, poaching, and infrastructure development leads to human-animal conflict. Lack of available data, predictive models, and perspectives hinder efficient conservation. Currently, the proposed measures include legal protection for corridors, community involvement, and data-driven management. This project seeks to create the first perspective plan for human-elephant conflict mitigation in the BNEGL, utilizing the Capability Approach (CA) proposed by Amartya Sen. Capability Approach assesses the well-being based on capabilities and functionings, emphasizing freedoms of choice. Implementing CA could enhance human-elephant relationships, thus addressing conflict more holistically, paralleling its use in agrarian crisis contexts.
1. Mapping the current set of basic capabilities and functioning of agriculturists and elephants.
2. Modeling future sets of basic capabilities and functioning of agriculturists and elephants.
3. Identifying sets of unrealized functioning of agriculturists and elephants due to human and elephant conflict, both present and future.
4. Identifying appropriate human and elephant conflict mitigation measures that minimize unrealized functioning of agriculturists and elephants.
5. Capacity building and information dissemination.
- A multifaceted approach of integrating fine-scale data on LULC, socio-economic contexts, and elephant ecology into decision-making frameworks is a core thrust of the project to inform wildlife management strategies and policy aiming toward a resilient and sustainable coexistence between humans and elephants.
- We developed a fine-scale Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) and infrastructure map for the study area. Approximately 75% of the BNEGL remains under forest cover. We assessed contiguity of each land use type across the landscape. Elephant location data, was gathered through direct sightings, camera traps, and from crop-compensation claim records from the Forest Department. These data allowed us to create decision rules for individual elephant movements across three climatic zones—semi-arid, humid, and per-humid.
- Results indicated that semi-arid zones exhibited the highest elephant movement intensity, with 25.7% of the area classified as very high or high in movement frequency, compared to 16.5% and 15.6% in humid and per-humid zones, respectively. Notably, in the semi-arid zone, which contains 560 villages, 54 villages (9.6%) experienced very high movement, and 90 villages (16.1%) saw high elephant movement. In the humid and per-humid zones, similar patterns emerged but at reduced movement intensities. These findings suggest heightened human-elephant interactions, especially in semi-arid areas.
- Analyzing LULC changes between 2005–06, 2011–12, and 2021–22 revealed a marked increase in built-up areas—82% over 16 years—alongside a modest rise in agriculture (6%). Forest cover remained constant, and barren/fallow areas decreased significantly by 33.8%. The expansion of built-up and agricultural areas may contribute to rising human-elephant interactions because of habitat encroachment.
- We predicted the LULC changes by 2030. Continued increases in agriculture (17.6%), built-up areas (2.8%), and plantations (6.5%) are likely. Reductions in barren/fallow land (32%) and natural vegetation like grasslands and scrub (up to 9.2%) are anticipated. These predictions highlight future challenges for elephants, whose access to resources like water and forage may be increasingly constrained.
- Socio-economic surveys were conducted across 1135 households in three agro-ecological zones (arid, semi-arid, and humid) to evaluate farmer capabilities and vulnerability to elephant raids. In the arid zone, over half of the surveyed farmers were marginal landholders (owning less than 2.47 acres), with most relying on borewell irrigation despite its high costs and limited effectiveness in arid conditions. Millets (38.78%), paddy (11.62%), and bananas (11.33%) were most commonly grown. Elephant raids were reported as a significant cause of crop loss, especially for millets and paddy. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and dependence on borewell irrigation were common, exacerbating environmental stress and financial burdens. With an annual income averaging just Rs. 30,000, the financial strain of elephant raids is considerable. Compounding these challenges, farmers faced barriers to accessing crop compensation because of complex procedures and limited departmental support.
- A total of 20,124 elephant records were gathered over 10,705 camera-trap days and analysed to understand elephant population dynamics and behaviour. Data on demographic variables and environmental parameters were compiled from these images. The spatial choices of elephants based on maturity, resource availability, and proximity to human settlements is being analysed. TO develop conservation strategies, the five freedoms of the CA will then be incorporated into the analysis.