Hillary Mrosso
The Burigi-Minziro landscape in Northwestern Tanzania is a critical biodiversity hotspot, home to an isolated elephant population and endangered species like elephants. However, increasing human activities, including agriculture and settlements, have fragmented the ecosystem, blocked wildlife corridors, and isolated elephants in the private land of Kagera Sugar Company located between the Minziro Nature Forest Reserve, Rumanyika-Karagwe National Park, Ibanda-Kyerwa National Park, and Burigi-Chato National Park.
This has increased human-elephant conflicts (HEC) with local communities and sugar cane plantation investors, resulting in damage and property destruction, negative economic impacts, and threats to human safety. These conflicts also exacerbate local peoples’ poverty and food insecurity given the reliance on subsistence farming and other natural resources (i.e., firewood harvesting).
This project will evaluate human-elephant conflict (HEC) dynamics in the villages of Katanda, Kibwera, Mshabaigulu, Kakindo, and Muramba, located around Minziro Nature Forest Reserve and Burigi-Chato National Park; the current mitigation measures, and potential solutions proposed by the local communities. We will conduct intensive, in-depth focus group discussions (FGD) with affected villages to collect baseline data on the problems and to help inform mitigation strategies, while balancing conservation and livelihood needs. Findings will provide evidence-based recommendations to foster human-elephant coexistence.