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Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a pervasive global challenge, particularly in developing nations, with significant implications for biodiversity, food security, and human well-being. This dissertation addresses critical knowledge gaps by providing a comprehensive, empirical understanding of HWC in the Trans-Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The research moves beyond generalized assumptions to explore the nuanced dynamics of HWC through the distinct experiences of migratory pastoralist (Gaddi) communities. It highlights the need for context-specific and multifaceted approaches to foster human-wildlife coexistence in the fragile landscape of the trans Himalayas.
Chapter 1 provides a broad introduction to HWC as a global phenomenon, narrowing the focus to India and the resource-scarce mountainous regions of the Himalayas where pastoral communities like the Gaddis coexist with wildlife. It establishes that HWC stems from diminishing human-nature connections, driven by increasing human and wildlife populations sharing landscapes, leading to negative interactions such as crop damage and livestock predation. The chapter defines HWC as "struggles that emerge when the presence or behaviour of wildlife poses an actual or perceived, direct, and recurring threat to human interests or needs, leading to disagreements between groups of people and negative impacts on people and/or wildlife". It emphasizes the significant ecological, economic, and social repercussions of HWC, including financial burdens, and human injuries, which undermine conservation efforts. The introduction also highlights the disproportionate impact of HWC on vulnerable communities and the complex interplay of factors that exacerbate these conflicts. Finally, it introduces pastoralism as a livelihood system heavily reliant on natural resources in shared landscapes, making pastoralists highly vulnerable to HWC.
Chapter 2 builds a foundational understanding of the nature and extent of HWC through the lens of the Gaddi community's generations-old annual migratory route. The study reveals that black bears, brown bears, and feral dogs are the primary conflict species causing livestock depredation for Gaddis in the Trans-Himalayan region. The findings demonstrate the spatial and temporal dynamics of conflict, with incidents mainly reported in high-altitude pastures and along migratory routes where human and wildlife activities overlap. The research identifies systemic issues with existing government compensation schemes, such as a lack of procedural clarity, under-compensation, undervaluation of livestock, and high transaction costs, as major deterrents preventing Gaddis from utilizing these schemes. This highlights the inadequacy of current policies and the gap between their design and community-level implementation. The chapter concludes by recommending the promotion of the local wool industry as an alternative income source and the implementation of a technology-based compensation system, to address these issues.
Chapter 3 delves into the underlying social and economic factors influencing the Gaddi community's attitudes toward wildlife. Despite incurring livestock losses, the findings reveal a tolerant outlook among Gaddis for wildlife welfare and a willingness to conserve charismatic megafauna like leopards and tigers. This suggests that cultural reverence and perceived ecological understanding can mediate negative attitudes, supporting existing literature on the impact of cultural values in conservation. Conversely, Gaddis exhibit lower tolerance and willingness to coexist with black and brown bears, species frequently involved in depredation and perceived as posing higher and more direct threats to their livelihoods. The study also finds a negative correlation between support for conservation, coexistence, and tolerance, and livestock ownership, particularly for larger animal herds, which aligns with resource dependence theories where economically vulnerable individuals perceive higher risks from wildlife. Notably, formal education does not show a statistically significant correlation with these attitudes, suggesting that conventional educational interventions alone may be insufficient to shift deeply rooted perceptions or overcome immediate livelihood pressures. The chapter emphasizes the complex interplay of perceived risk, cultural beliefs, values, and livelihood pressures in shaping attitudes towards coexistence.
Chapter 4 provides a critical comparative perspective by contrasting the HWC experiences and perceptions of settled agrarian communities with those of the migratory Gaddi community. The findings unequivocally demonstrate that livelihood strategies fundamentally shape HWC profiles. Settled communities primarily contend with localized and seasonal conflicts, such as crop raiding by monkeys and bears, and livestock depredation by snow leopards in specific high-altitude zones (like Kinnaur). In contrast, Gaddis face pervasive livestock depredation from a wider range of species, including bears, leopards, tigers, golden eagles, jackals, and, significantly, a high rate of conflict with feral dogs. While both groups show reduced support for species directly threatening their livelihoods, their nuanced responses reflect different underlying reasons: settled communities often link conservation values directly to coexistence, demonstrating a practical understanding of ecosystem interdependence, whereas Gaddis are additionally influenced by cultural reverence. This comparative analysis strongly supports the argument for tailored conservation policies and management strategies that account for the socio-ecological diversity within shared landscapes.
Chapter 5 synthesizes the overall findings, contributing significantly to both academic and policy realms of HWC and conservation. Academically, the dissertation fills a critical gap by focusing on the under-researched transhumant pastoralist group, the Gaddis, providing rich empirical data on their HWC dynamics. It refines existing theoretical frameworks by demonstrating how economic loss, aesthetic appeal, perceived risk, and cultural values intersect to shape and evolve attitudes and perceptions, emphasizing the complex human dimension of conservation science. The direct comparison between settled and migratory communities provides robust scientific evidence for the necessity of customized policy interventions, moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches. From a policy standpoint, the dissertation proposes actionable solutions, including an offline mobile application for compensation claims to address systemic issues of accessibility, transparency, and timely payments. It advocates for localized, species-specific compensation rates to optimize resource allocation. Furthermore, it suggests non-lethal, livelihood-centric mitigation strategies such as promoting the local wool industry, using trained guard dogs, and employing solar-powered deterrents. The research emphasizes strengthening community participation and trust between communities and the forest department, promoting collaborative governance models that integrate traditional ecological knowledge and socio-cultural values. The dissertation also addresses emerging threats, particularly the consistent impact of feral dogs, calling for dedicated policy interventions. Ultimately, this study provides a robust, evidence-based roadmap for developing more effective, inclusive, culturally-resonant and acceptable, equitable, and sustainable conservation policies in the Trans-Himalayan region. Future research directions include longitudinal studies to track attitudinal shifts, in-depth qualitative research with the Gaddi community, ecological studies using advanced field techniques, and evaluation of climate change impacts on HWC patterns.