Preventing Human-Wildlife Conflict Is Critical for People and the Planet

Mar 7, 2021 | Kristina Rodina
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Each year on 3 March, World Wildlife Day presents us with an opportunity. Not only do we celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wildlife, but we also turn our attention to how to live alongside it harmoniously and sustainably. Most of the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity is found in our forests. They sustain and host life, including 80% of amphibians, 75% of birds, 68% of mammals, and 60% of all vascular plant species.

At the same time, 1.6 billion rural people live within 5 kilometers of a forest and more than 1 billion depend on wild food. But our forests, and the wildlife that live in them, are under threat. As human populations grow, so does the demand for natural resources, including land for agriculture. This leads to the degradation and fragmentation of forests and wildlife habitats, with humans and livestock encroaching on forest ecosystems.