Beyond Crop-Raiding: Unravelling the Broader Impacts of Human-Wildlife Conflict on Rural Communities

Abstract

This paper examines the impacts of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the Kakum Conservation Area (KCA), Ghana. The primary focus is on crop-raiding by elephants. Using ethnographic methodologies, the findings shed light on the broader impacts of HWC in rural communities. These include food insecurity characterized by a notable decline in the quality and quantity of food accessible to individuals and families affected by crop-raiding. The study also underscores the negative impacts on mental and physical wellbeing as residents contend with stress, anxiety and fear due to crop-raiding and encounters with elephants. Furthermore, this research uncovers how coping mechanisms employed by locals in response to these challenges may result in problem drinking. Also, efforts taken to mitigate crop-raiding unintentionally result in health consequences for farmers who face risks of contracting diseases such as malaria and suffer from sleep deprivation due to guarding their fields at night. More importantly, this study provides an in-depth examination of the broader vulnerabilities caused by HWC which are often ignored and underscores the importance of looking beyond the direct impacts in HWC hotspots like KCA.