Bridging the Divide: A Land Tenure Approach to Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflict across Africa

By Christopher Burke

A smallholder farmer in western Uganda stands helplessly as a troop of chimpanzees raid his banana plantation. Similar conflicts are common across the continent: elephants trampling crops in Kenya, lions killing livestock in Namibia, chimpanzees in Guinea attacking fields and hippos destroying cassava farms
in Ghana. Human-wildlife conflict is intensifying as Africa’s rapidly growing population competes with wildlife for space and resources. Conservationists generally focus on protected areas and anti-poaching efforts, however an often underutilized solution lies in land tenure security. Strengthening land rights
for local communities can reduce conflict, encourage conservation and create a future where both humans and wildlife thrive.

The Growing Crisis
Human-wildlife conflict is not a new phenomenon, but is escalating rapidly due to habitat fragmentation, climate change and rapid agricultural expansion. Africa’s human population is expected to nearly double to 2.4 million people by 2050, placing unprecedented pressure on forests, savannas and wetlands that are home to diverse wildlife species. The expansion of farmland, infrastructure projects and extractive industries has forced animals into shrinking and isolated habitats.

Forest loss has been staggering in Uganda’s Albertine Rift, home to more than 5,000 chimpanzees. The Bugoma-Budongo corridor is a critical linkage for chimpanzee populations, severely degraded by logging, oil exploration and farming. There has been a significant decline in natural forest patches in the Kidoma and Bulyango linkages leaving chimpanzees increasingly reliant on fragmented community forests. This fragmentation disrupts genetic diversity and forces wildlife into human settlements, escalating conflict over crops and resources.

The situation is equally dire for elephants in Kenya and Tanzania where expanding agricultural settlements have blocked migratory routes. Elephants often raid farms, causing significant economic losses and fueling retaliatory killings. In a study in Amboseli, Kenya, the majority of community respondents attributed crop destruction to elephants. Similarly, in Namibia, where communal conservancies have been widely promoted, livestock depredation by crocodiles, hyenas, lions, wild dogs,
leopard and jackals remain a major concern prompting many farmers to kill predators in response.

In the Bossou region of Guinea, a chimpanzee attacked and killed an eight-month-old baby causing significant tension between the local community and conservationists. This event underscores the challenges that arise when wildlife habitats overlap with human settlements. As natural habitats are lost to agricultural expansion, deforestation and mining, many different species resort to crop-raiding
posing significant challenges for farmers across the continent.

Chimpanzees often target high-energy crops such as bananas, maize and cassava causing substantial economic losses and food insecurity. Communities may resort to harmful deterrence methods including habitat destruction or even lethal action exacerbating human-wildlife conflict and further endangering already vulnerable populations.

Hippos are a major threat to local agriculture in Ghana’s Volta Region. Historically confined to rivers and wetlands, these large mammals are now frequently found destroying cassava and maize farms, particularly during the dry season when water sources shrink. The growing conflict has led to an increase in hippo killings, despite their protected status under Ghanaian law. These examples mirror patterns observed across the continent—where habitat loss and insecure land tenure drive human-wildlife conflict. Perceptions of park-adjacent communities concerning the impact of conservation on livelihoods are heavily influenced by conservation governance.

Without intervention, the intensity of human-wildlife conflict will only increase. Wildlife populations will decline. More species will disappear. The western black rhino and northern white rhino are extinct in the wild. Two remaining northern white rhino are kept under 24-hour guard in Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Rural communities bear the economic and social costs. Communities living in and around
recognized wildlife areas who are characteristically amongst the most poor and vulnerable are directly impacted.

These communities often depend on wildlife-related industries such as ecotourism, conservation jobs and sustainable resource harvesting. The extinction or decline of key species such as chimpanzees, rhinos or elephants reduces tourism revenue, leading to job losses amongst local guides, park rangers and artisans who rely on wildlife-inspired crafts.

Land Tenure, ESG and Community Rights as a Solution
Securing land tenure for local communities can be an effective strategy for mitigating human-wildlife conflict. Insecure land rights drive deforestation, unsustainable agriculture and encroachment on wildlife corridors across Africa. Conservation efforts often fail, when people lack legal control over land.

Securing land tenure aligns with environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 1 (No Poverty). By ensuring local communities have legal land rights, sustainable land-use practices can be promoted and reduce conflicts while protecting biodiversity.

ESG- aligned investment in conservation and land governance can enhance long-term ecological and economic stability benefiting both communities and global investors seeking responsible impact initiatives.

The Simanjiro Conservation Easement in Tanzania demonstrating how secure land tenure can mitigate human-wildlife conflict. The initiative involves contractual agreements between local villages and tourism operators with local communities agreeing to limit agricultural activities to designated areas in exchange for annual payments. The arrangement helps preserve critical wildlife habitats and migratory
routes, reducing conflicts between farmers and wildlife. The Simanjiro Conservation Easement operates without direct government involvement highlighting the potential for community-driven conservation efforts.

Communal conservancies in Namibia mitigate human-wildlife conflict by granting local communities rights over wildlife and tourism, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. Delineating clear land rights and tenure arrangements that involve communities in wildlife management can reduce conflicts and promote coexistence.

Uganda’s dual land tenure system that integrates customary and statutory land ownership provides a promising model. Under this framework, Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) and Communal Land Associations (CLAs) allow communities to secure land rights while promoting conservation-friendly
practices. By giving people a stake in their land, these legal mechanisms create incentives for sustainable resource management.

The Environmental Conservation Trust (EcoTrust) initiative in Uganda’s Bugoma-Budongo corridor presents an interesting example. The not-for-profit conservation organization provided modest payments to a number or property owners under a carbon credit initiative to preserve forests. Working with local communities to secure collective land titles, EcoTrust also bought 20 hectares to facilitate reforestation and habitat restoration to ensure safe passage for wildlife and reduce human-wildlife encounters. Similar approaches can be replicated across Africa.

Policy and Governance Solutions
Securing land rights is crucial; however, complementary policies are required to support the integration of conservation into national land governance frameworks. Fragmented landscapes require wildlife corridors that connect protected areas and allow animals to move freely. The Serengeti-Mara corridor in Tanzania and Kenya facilitates the migration of millions of wildebeests and zebras. The Northern
Albertine Rift Strategic Plan in Uganda aims to restore degraded habitats and reconnect chimpanzee populations. Governments and development partners could consider prioritization of such initiatives.

African governments must integrate land tenure security into conservation policies. The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT), developed by the FAO, offer a blueprint for responsible land management. By adopting such frameworks, governments can attract international donor support while ensuring conservation efforts are inclusive and equitable.

Organizations such as the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and The Nature Conservancy strengthen attention to land tenure security issues in conservation planning. Without local buy-in, conservation projects often fail. A community-centered approach–rather than exclusionary conservation models–can
foster long-term coexistence between humans and wildlife.

Securing a Future for Wildlife and People
Africa’s conservation future depends not only on protecting wildlife, but securing land rights for the people who live nearby. Anti-poaching efforts and national parks play a role, but are insufficient without addressing land tenure. Examples from Uganda’s chimpanzee corridors to Guinea’s farmland conflicts and Ghana’s hippo encroachments demonstrate that when communities have a stake in conservation,
conflicts decline.

Governments, development partners and conservation organizations must should consider extending their approach beyond wildlife protection to land tenure as a foundation for coexistence. With the correct policies, investment and community engagement, Africa can chart a future where people and wildlife flourish together.

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Christopher Burke is a senior advisor at WMC Africa, a communications and advisory agency located in Kampala, Uganda. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has worked extensively on social, political and economic development issues focused on extractives, environmental issues, land governance, agriculture, community mobilization, public health, advocacy, communications, conflict mediation and peace-building in Asia and Africa.