Garamba National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has taken innovative steps to address the challenge of human–wildlife conflict, and the threat that wildlife can pose to people. In response to local people’s concerns, the park has adopted a proactive, community-centred approach. Through collaboration and practical mitigation strategies, and by drawing on traditional knowledge, an inclusive and sustainable model for managing HWC is being built.
The Value of Traditional Knowledge
Village chiefs and elders are the stewards of ancestral practices previously used by communities to try and protect their crops and livelihoods. Around twenty of these customary methods have been documented, and the most effective of them are being integrated into sustainable farming practices, Community leaders and field agricultural advisers are using local radio broadcasts and the Farmer Field Schools initiative to encourage participation.
Farmers sprinkle chilli pepper along paths used by elephant and hippo, display scarecrows, play loud sounds to deter primates, burn elephant dung mixed with chilli to repel elephant, cultivate repellent plants around field edges, and place beehives along the edges of their fields. By combining traditional and modern methods, they are reducing crop losses and the risk of injury to people and animals.
Empowering Communities to Take the Lead
To reinforce the overall HWC mitigation strategy, communities are gaining greater autonomy through the establishment of local wildlife control committees which are enabling their active participation in the conservation of their natural heritage.
In the first phase, 113 young volunteers, grouped into 19 teams across 10 of the most affected villages, have been trained in safe techniques for driving away elephant and hippo. These teams are safeguarding food security, with each protected field meaning a more resilient livelihood for the family that cultivates it.
A warning system has also been introduced to report situations that the committees cannot manage alone. A phone call to the park headquarters now triggers rapid mobilisation of eco-guards to assist on site.
“Before, we improvised. We used pieces of sheet metal or barrels. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. Today, we've learnt a good method. For example, with hippos, we line up 50 metres away, without blocking their escape route. We've kept our old tools, but we combine them with new ones to amplify the effect. It's a real improvement.” Augustin Adjundema, farmer, Kibinzi village
Human-Wildlife Conflict on the big screen
The active involvement of communities led to the production of a film entitled “The Invisible Barriers around Garamba: Human–Wildlife Conflict.”
As a powerful awareness-raising and knowledge-sharing tool, the film popularises the different conflict-prevention techniques tested by communities while strengthening local ownership of the solutions.
It will be screened through a network of community cinemas in villages surrounding the Park, encouraging collective learning and community dialogue. These screenings will be complemented by radio broadcasts and community events in order to raise awareness of viable risk mitigation methods.
A Model for Coexistence
Pilot villages were chosen based on assessed HWC risk and the willingness of residents to participate. Building on the success of this first phase, there are plans to expand the model to additional communities across the broader Garamba Complex. At the same time, radio broadcasts and community events continue to raise awareness of the issues involved, and provide advice on living alongside wildlife.
By combining ancestral wisdom with innovative HWC management techniques, communities are acquiring the tools they need to become more resilient.