Paper short abstract:

This paper examines Human Elephant Conflict using an environmental justice framework. A case-study of the Okavango Eastern Panhandle (OEP) in Botswana explores the complexities of a conservation 'success' story, i.e. a rapidly expanding elephant population and the impacts this has for local people.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines Human Elephant Conflict using an environmental justice framework. This framework draws attention to a lack of participatory approaches in the processes of policy making. Across Africa, Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is a complex issue that does not always have readily available mitigating measures. In some instances, the animals involved tend to be those internationally recognized as vulnerable species. Local solutions like culling may not be accepted globally. Such is the case with the Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) in the Okavango Eastern Panhandle (OEP) of Northern Botswana. Elephants have grown in numbers and are now moving out of their protected areas and encroaching into the villages of the OEP.

The growth in number of these elephants, despite being good for tourism and the country’s international conservation image, has come at a cost for many local people. Elephants raid their ploughing fields and destroy their crops, leading to limited access of food, causing poverty for many households. The management of these elephants can be attributed to a combination of conservation, wildlife management and tourism policies, but the making of these policies is not inclusive of all the relevant stakeholders. In fact, these policies are made with no regard to participatory approaches. This means that the procedural justice is sacrificed when local people are left out. The result is that the costs and benefits of expanding elephant numbers are not equally distributed.