brown tree on surrounded by brown grass during golden hour

RESEARCH PROJECT

Why Human-Wildlife Conflict?

Communities globally are facing the threat of resource shortage and climate vulnerabilities. Struggles induce strong survivability and resilience within communities. Many times, the costs are borne by the ecosystems of these regions including its wildlife.

The African subcontinent is one of the last swathes of undivided terrains for wildlife and biodiversity to flourish. Local communities and Wildlife and co-existed for more than a millennium. However, these dynamics have been drastically altered to mete out the myriad of surfacing demands. Human-Wildlife conflict and Illegal-Wildlife Trade are the forerunners of these issues.

HWC and IWT already are sensitive issues at the best of times. But today climate change is affecting these dynamics in unbeknownst ways. These many dynamics are singular issues in themselves but the fine-lines interlink all of them and put Human Wildlife Conflict at the forefront.

As academicians and researchers, it is a challenge we aim to study, interpret and address in as many best probable ways as is possible.

Why GSRIT?

We go back to the well-versed saying of “Prevention is Better than cure.” Addressing a conflict after the effects are visible is one of the last steps of any project.

However, with GSRIT; if we could apperceive the risks before seeing the impacts? What are the types of risks that ecosystems face, that are unique to that area? How is the behaviour of the people, wildlife and other resources affected by these risks? In what ways is their interaction affected with each other? What roles do external factors play and what are the types of external factors?

Through GSRIT we want to integrate these questions and output it as a Geospatial data which can by communities, conservationists and policy makers.

Why is Geospatial Data important?

Traditionally, data and information make more sense when represented diagrammatically and graphically. The team also has a vested interest in Geospatial Technologies. Besides that, by employing geospatial tools, old information can be easily integrated with new incoming information. Also, it is possible to study the trends of data overtime and employ futuristic projections, which is an important aspect of risk indexing.

Additionally, as the GSRIT data will be supported with actual ground studies, the team attempts to ensure the reliability and functionality of the desired outputs will be secure.

aerial photograph of village eside river

Projected Outcomes

Publish studies/ findings and results in peer – reviewed journals and Conferences. Yearly Policy brief, mobile and web based GSRIT app .
We aim to develop GSRIT as a potential visualisation tool for a command-and-control center against Human Wildlife conflict in Africa.
Stakeholder engagement is a central goal. By encouraging collaborations with local media, Community leaders, conservation networks, organisations and public engagements ; GSRIT aims to increase the research accessibility.
Stakeholder Inclusive Approach ensure that the tool reflects the realities and concerns of the affected communities, promotes accountability in sustainable conservation efforts