Arya News - The Conflict to Coexistence initiative is designed to mitigate escalating conflicts by integrating conservation efforts with economic resilience.
THIMPHU – For generations, rural communities in Zhemgang have lived on the edge of the country’s protected forests, struggling against relentless wildlife threats that destroy crops and imperil their livelihoods.
Despite decades of intervention, human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) have escalated in both frequency and severity in recent years. With limited income opportunities, many farmers have been left with no choice but to abandon fertile farmland as wildlife encroachment worsens.
While no solution can fully safeguard farms and livelihoods, a coexistence approach—balancing human well-being with wildlife conservation—is increasingly viewed as the most sustainable strategy for managing human-wildlife conflict.
The Zhemgang Forest Division has launched a five-year pilot project (2025–2030) called “Conflict to Coexistence (C2C)” in Trong gewog, an effort to create a sustainable model where both people and wildlife can thrive.
The project, with an initial funding of Nu 8.517 million from WWF-Bhutan, is designed to mitigate escalating conflicts by integrating conservation efforts with economic resilience. An additional Nu 37.8 million is being sought from conservation donors and the Royal Government to expand long-term interventions.
Unlike previous strategies, the C2C project is shaped by those most affected—local farmers.
“The C2C system is based on community input, with each household consulted to identify common wildlife conflicts,” said Dzongkhag Chief Forestry Officer (CFO) Tashi Wangchuk. “Solutions, including plans and activities, were suggested by the farmers.”
The initiative is backed by a multi-sectoral collaboration, including the agriculture and livestock sectors, local gewog authorities, and conservationists. The Zhemgang Forest Division will oversee implementation, closely monitoring the project’s effectiveness.
Tashi Wangchuk said that Trong gewog was chosen for the pilot project because all the villages in the gewog are surrounded by protected areas, including the Royal Manas National Park, the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, and Biological Corridor-4.
Human-wildlife coexistence in Trong gewog is imbalanced due to vulnerable livelihood assets, with wildlife interactions worsening instability and increasing conflicts.
By the end of the project in 2030, around 380 households with a population of 3,371 across five chiwogs in Trong gewog will benefit from secured livelihoods and assets, along with the continued presence of wildlife.
Wild animals such as bears, dholes, leopards, primates, rodents, tigers, and ungulates are listed as conflict species in Trong gewog. These animals often destroy crops, attack livestock, and sometimes pose threats to human safety, making coexistence a persistent challenge.
C2C activities
The C2C Strategy for Trong gewog aims to transform human-wildlife conflict into coexistence by addressing root causes and enhancing community resilience. It provides a stepwise, adaptive approach to manage HWC through sustainable practices, community engagement, and effective mitigation measures.
The C2C project includes 16 activities for livelihood and assets with a budget of Nu 34.75 million, six activities for people with a budget of Nu 7.5 million, six activities designed for wildlife with a budget of Nu 1.6 million, and an estimated Nu 2.75 million for six activities under habitat.
The project will help rural communities co-exist with wildlife by boosting financial resilience through agriculture, livestock, and ecotourism, while establishing new enterprises and enhancing engagement with protected area authorities.
These activities, according to the Zhemgang Forest Division, focus on safeguarding livelihoods and assets, which have been identified as the weakest outcomes, followed by concerns related to people, wildlife, and habitat.
The C2C project will also enhance wildlife habitat and community livelihoods by planting native fruiting trees, improving waterholes, and supporting forest nurseries to enrich local ecosystems.
The project will build a green tea processing unit for Zhemgang Throm, establish an ecolodge at Goling Camp, maintain the Yebilaptsa-Zurphel eco-trail, introduce a homestay programme in Tama and Zurphel, and install chain-link fencing for Gonpong to protect wildlife and the community.
Forest and habitat management efforts include reviewing the Berti community forest plan, reviving grazing lands, and monitoring timber removal. Wildlife control measures, such as bio-acoustic deterrents, solar fencing, and wildlife passages, are also included to protect agricultural fields and corridors.
Support for agriculture and livestock will include improved cattle breeds, coffee seedlings, and poultry farm development, while also assisting the existing farmers’ group with product packaging and equipment procurement, among other initiatives.
The project will also focus on capacity building to ensure effective monitoring and reporting. A citizen science group for human-wildlife conflict management will also be established, along with the formation of a Rapid Response Team.
With 93.89 percent forest coverage, Zhemgang is a biodiversity hotspot—home to species like tiger, golden langur, Himalayan musk deer, red panda, wild dog, white-bellied heron, steppe eagle, and golden mahseer, among others.