Meeting the challenges of human-wildlife conflict reconciliation in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) leads to the bearing of direct as well as indirect economic costs of conflict by the communities. Such losses can seriously dent the incomes of concerned community members and result in increased antagonism towards conservation in general. This research in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) highlights that communities have to incur major economic losses due to crop depredation and the average annual household monetary losses are highest in Katarniaghat – 10.17% of the average annual household income followed by 7.25% of the average annual household income in Dudhwa and 5.8% of the average annual household income in Kishanpur. Similarly, the communities also have to incur economic losses due to livestock depredation and the average annual household monetary losses are highest in Katarniaghat – 3.05% of the average annual household income followed by 1.77% of the average annual household income in Dudhwa and 1.17% of the average annual household income in Kishanpur.