Emergency Strategies in the Management of Human Wildlife Conflict for Sustenance of Livelihoods and Education in Baringo North Sub-County, Kenya.

Abstract

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) has reached disaster proportions based on number of deaths of human and wildlife whether as absolute figures or even in the context of destroyed fauna and flora globally. The convergence areas of conflict are around protected areas, where wildlife population is higher and wild animals often stray into adjacent cultivated fields or grazing areas. This study focused on Kamnarok National Reserve in Baringo North Sub-County, Kenya which has received scanty empirical focus on this aspect of HWC. The main objective of the study was to examine emergency response strategies in the management of HWC for sustenance of livelihoods and education in Baringo North Sub-County, Kenya. The study was guided by Kenneth’s and Kilmann’s Conflict Styles theory together with Dollard’s Frustration Aggression Displacement theory. A descriptive survey research design was used. The study population was 286 with principal respondents being drawn from adjacent community households that were victims of HWC. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules, and Focus Group Discussions. On emergency response strategies being applied in the study area, coping strategies were rated as follows: seeking medical treatment after attack was rated at 75%; psychotherapy after the attack was rated at 21% while compensation following the attack was rated at 14%. Since psychotherapy support is very critical in emotional healing and reduced trauma while compensation cushions households especially where a breadwinner has been killed or disabled by the wildlife attack, such low uptake is a precursor to continued hostilities and prevalence of HWC. As for mitigating strategies, the need to initiate dialogue with communities living adjacent to the national reserve was supported at 92% just as was the case with erecting electric fencing around the national reserve to keep off stray wild animals. Other strategies like up-scaling of community awareness on likely economic value to the area in the event that wildlife is supported were rated at 88%. Strengthening of community-based conservation as a prevention strategy for boosted socio-economic gains for the local people received an approval rating of 92%. The study concluded that the strategies employed in the management of HWC are not effective in dealing with the problem since they are short lived and are often reactive in nature. Key coping strategies to allow healing emotionally and economically like psychotherapy and compensation were poorly rated. Psychotherapy which is a critical psychosocial component together with compensation should be boosted. Compensation efforts should consider relocation of adjacent communities as effects of climate change take effect and more people initially not covered under compensation policy are affected.