Government Boosts Wildlife Conflict Management with Research, Technology Push

In a significant move to address the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict, the Central Government on Thursday launched a comprehensive national initiative combining scientific research, advanced technology and community participation . Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human-Wildlife Conflict at WII-SACON, Coimbatore , while also launching the National Human-Wildlife Conflict Portal to strengthen conflict management across the country.

The initiatives were unveiled during a National Workshop on Human-Wildlife Conflict , attended by policymakers, forest officials, scientists, researchers and conservation experts. Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh was also present.

The newly established Centre is India's first dedicated national institution focused exclusively on human-wildlife conflict management. Announced earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 7th National Board for Wildlife meeting, the Centre will serve as a national hub for research, innovation, policy support, capacity building and dissemination of best practices . It will also help states develop evidence-based strategies to reduce conflicts while protecting both wildlife and human livelihoods.

Addressing the gathering, Bhupender Yadav said increasing habitat fragmentation, changing land-use patterns and expanding human settlements have intensified interactions between people and wild animals, making human-wildlife conflict one of India's biggest conservation challenges. He stressed the need for solution-oriented, technology-driven approaches and called for policies to manage conflicts involving tigers outside reserves, leopards and elephants through area-specific and species-specific interventions.

The Minister urged forest departments to adopt preventive measures in coordination with local communities and conduct awareness campaigns in both rural and urban areas. "Coexistence and harmony, instead of conflict, should be the mantra of ecological sustainability," he said.

The National Human-Wildlife Conflict Portal will function as a centralized platform for recording conflict incidents, mapping hotspots, sharing knowledge and supporting evidence-based decision-making. The Ministry also released the first edition of 'Current Status of Human-Wildlife Conflict in India: An Overview' , providing a comprehensive assessment of emerging trends and challenges.

Experts noted that conservation successes under programmes such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant have increased wildlife populations, but shrinking habitats and expanding infrastructure have also led to more encounters involving elephants, tigers, leopards, sloth bears, wild boars and other species. Located near the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve , the new Centre will leverage modern tools such as AI, GIS mapping, GPS tracking, drones and camera traps , while promoting community participation and traditional ecological knowledge to develop long-term solutions for peaceful human-wildlife coexistence.