Local people's perceptions on the influence of linear infrastructure on human-wildlife conflict in Southern Kenya

Abstract

Globally, conservation and development efforts are impacted by human-wildlife conflict as this issue negatively affects human lives. Increasingly, sub-Saharan Africa has become the focus of linear transportation infrastructure development that encroaches on many traditional wildlife areas. One of the resulting effects of infrastructure development - allowing people to move into areas they were not previously living - can be human-wildlife conflict. This relationship between people, wildlife and infrastructure has not been well investigated in Kenya. We studied local peoples perceptions of the impacts of the Mombasa to Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), roads, oil pipelines and electricity transport lines on human-wildlife conflict in southern Kenya. Our results show that peoples perceptions are that human wildlife conflict has increased in the past five years due to the construction of the SGR, but not in relation to other infrastructure. We have no independent data to check this result, and there is significant politics around this railway project, but the result is robust along 100s of kilometres of railway construction route. Our conclusion is that addressing human-wildlife conflict requires a holistic overview and understanding of the drivers and their interactions to support the development of strategies that support human and wildlife coexistence.