Assessment of the Impact of Human-Wildlife Conflict on Socioeconomic Livelihoods of Bour-Algy Community in Garissa, Kenya

Abstract

Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) has increased recently as a result of increasing human population and decreasing resources. The situation is even worse in the Kenyan drylands where climate change impacts bite. Despite being such an important issue. the linkage to socio-economic livelihoods is scanty especially in the dry lands context hence this study sought to find out how HWC impacts on the socio-economic livelihood of the Bour-Algy community in Garissa County. The study examined the extent of resource competition between wildlife and livestock, wildlife predation and crop raids as well as human intrusion and its link on socio-economic livelihood of the communities. The research was built on the Social Conflict and Stakeholder Theories. A descriptive survey design was used where a survey was conducted on the locals from the location hosting Bour-Algy Sanctuary as well as other stakeholders such as local administration that is village elders and chiefs Kenya Wildlife Service as well county government officials from the department of Agriculture. Environment and Livestock. In total, 3449 respondents were targeted. This study was a mixed methods research where both qualitative and quantitative data was used. The qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis while the impact of HWC on socio-economic livelihood was established through Pearson correlation. In addition, the moderating effect of legal framework was established through a Multivariate Moderated Regression Model. The results indicated that resource competition between livestock and wildlife, crop raids and predation as well as human intrusion have a negative impact on socio-economic livelihood of the communities (r-0.675,-0.006 and -0.437) respectively. However, while the impact of resource competition between livestock and wildlife as well as human intrusion were significant (Sig<0.05), crop raids and predation had an insignificant impact (Sig> 0.05). Additionally, legal and institutional framework has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between HWC and socio-economic livelihood (-0.087: Sig <0.05). The findings led to the conclusion that increasing HWC was associated with economic losses, reduced income and increased costs, which deteriorated socio-economic livelihood. The study recommends the County Government of Garissa to work collectively with the local community to ensure minimization of resource competition by building more watering corridors. passing laws to prevent land encroachment, implementation of policies that aim to penalize and discourage hunting and poaching the wildlife, expanding the grazing land towards the sanctuary. intruding the sanctuary in order to harvest honey, massive deforestation activities to expand the human territory towards the sanctuary and cutting down trees to get fuel and expanding agricultural