IUCN Position Statement on HWC

This IUCN SSC Position Statement was prepared by the Chair and members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Human-Wildlife Conflict Task Force in July 2020. At the time of writing, the Task Force is also preparing a comprehensive technical policy and advisory document, the IUCN SSC Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence.

The IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict Task Force urges governments, non-governmental organizations, researchers, practitioners, community leaders, environmental agencies and others to ensure that efforts to manage human-wildlife conflicts are pursued through well-informed, holistic, and collaborative processes that take into account underlying social, cultural and economic contexts.

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WCC2020-Res101: Addressing human-wildlife conflict: fostering a safe and beneficial coexistence of people and wildlife

Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) can be defined as ‘negative interactions between people and wild animals, with consequences for both people and their resources and wildlife and their habitats’.

Although humans have coexisted with terrestrial and marine fauna (wildlife) for millennia, growing competition over space and resources means that HWC is a complex and escalating global challenge.

HWC is a significant risk to the survival of many threatened species, and the integrity of ecosystems and protected areas, as well as eroding people’s appreciation of the value of wildlife and their support for associated conservation and resource-management measures that can drive wildlife or nature-based economies.

WCC-2020 Res 101 urges the establishment of development plans which maintain functional and ecological connectivity, minimize Human-Wildlife Conflicts, and optimize opportunities for benefit creation from sustainable wildlife management and it calls for the issue to be addressed by relevant fora, including the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

2023

IUCN SSC guidelines on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence : first edition

These guidelines were produced in 2023 to provide (i) a guide to understanding and resolving human-wildlife conflict and set out (ii) the foundations and principles of good practice on addressing conflicts and enabling coexistence with wildlife. The guidelines focus on approaches and tools for analysis and decision-making, and they are applicable any species or region of the world.

The guidelines were prepared by the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group which is a global advisory group of experts from a range of subjects working on interdisciplinary approaches to wildlife conservation and supporting the IUCN network, conservation practitioners, and international organisations around the world with guidance and information on best practice. The World Bank has organised training courses on HWC, in collaboration with IUCN.

How to use

To download the IUCN guidelines:

https://www.iucn.org/resources/publication/iucn-ssc-guidelines-human-wildlife-conflict-and-coexistence-first-edition

To contact the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group [and obtain further guidance and advice]: https://www.hwctf.org/

For details of the World Bank training courses on HWC:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2021/05/01/human-wildlife-conflict-training-series