Design principles for human-wildlife coexistence

This project aims to define, survey and derive principles for human-wildlife coexistence. It works through (a) literature review, and survey of conservation practitioners and (b) fieldwork to identify and inductively derive principles of coexistence from where it exists in the world in particular places. Methodologies include surveys of literature and key informants, workshops and focus groups, and fieldwork including animal behaviour studies and ethnographic work at sites where coexistence occurs. As human-wildlife conflict and coexistence are now part of the GBF Target 4 aspirations, and indicators are required for monitoring these by all signatories to the CBD, clarity on coexistence and how to monitor it would have impact. The first supervisor is on the steering committee of the IUCN Specialist Group on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, which published Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence (2023), and and its policy working group is tasked with developing an indicator for Target 4 for human-wildlife interactions.