Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav today inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human–Wildlife Conflict at the Wildlife Institute of India–Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (WII-SACON), Coimbatore, and launched the National Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal to strengthen scientific and technology-driven conflict mitigation across the country.
The inauguration was followed by a National Workshop on Human–Wildlife Conflict, attended by policymakers, forest officials, scientists, researchers, technology experts and conservation practitioners. Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh also attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Yadav said increasing interactions between humans and wildlife, driven by habitat fragmentation, changing land-use patterns and expanding human activities, have made human–wildlife conflict one of India’s key conservation and development challenges. He stressed the need for technology-based, solution-oriented approaches and called for coordinated efforts involving forest departments, local communities and other stakeholders.
The Minister said the newly established Centre of Excellence, announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the 7th Meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, will function as a national hub for research, innovation, policy support, capacity building and dissemination of best practices for evidence-based management of human–wildlife conflict. He also emphasised the need for area-specific and species-specific strategies, particularly for managing conflicts involving elephants, leopards and tigers outside protected areas, while promoting public awareness on safe human–wildlife interactions.
Launching the National Human–Wildlife Conflict Portal, Shri Yadav said the digital platform will support data management, knowledge sharing and decision-making for conflict mitigation. He also released the first edition of ‘Current Status of Human–Wildlife Conflict in India: An Overview’, a publication assessing the current trends and emerging challenges related to human–wildlife conflict.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh said the success of wildlife conservation has increased interactions between people and wildlife, making conflict management both a conservation and socio-economic priority. He expressed confidence that the Centre of Excellence would strengthen capacity building, promote the use of advanced technologies and help preserve traditional knowledge for peaceful human–wildlife coexistence.
Technical sessions during the workshop focused on human–elephant conflict, human–big cat conflict, and the application of technology and innovation in conflict mitigation. The deliberations are expected to contribute to strengthening national strategies for human–wildlife conflict management while promoting coexistence between people and wildlife.
