Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Friday inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Human-Wildlife Conflict at the Wildlife Institute of India–Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (WII-SACON) in Coimbatore. The event also witnessed the launch of the National Human-Wildlife Conflict Portal and a national workshop focused on addressing the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict across India.
The workshop brought together policymakers, forest officials, scientists, researchers, technology experts and wildlife conservationists to discuss effective strategies for reducing conflicts between humans and wildlife. Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh was also present at the event.
Addressing the gathering, Bhupender Yadav said that increasing human activities, habitat fragmentation and changing land-use patterns have intensified interactions between people and wildlife, making human-wildlife conflict one of India’s major conservation and development challenges. He stressed that the country should adopt solution-oriented approaches supported by modern technology.
The Minister called for the preparation of comprehensive policies to address conflicts involving tigers outside tiger reserves, as well as leopards and elephants. He also highlighted the need for large-scale awareness campaigns in both rural and urban areas to educate people on safely responding to wildlife encounters. According to him, region-specific and species-specific strategies are essential to reduce public fear and improve conflict management.
Yadav urged state forest departments to adopt preventive measures to minimise damage to crops, property and human settlements. He emphasized that local communities should play a key role in conflict management through coordinated efforts and multi-stakeholder participation. Promoting innovative technologies and best conservation practices, he said, would strengthen wildlife protection while ensuring public safety.
“Coexistence and harmony, instead of conflict, should be the mantra of ecological sustainability,” the Minister said.
He also noted that the Centre of Excellence, announced earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, will serve as a national hub for research, policy support, innovation, capacity building and the sharing of best practices for scientific management of human-wildlife conflict.
Speaking at the event, Kirti Vardhan Singh said successful wildlife conservation has increased interactions between humans and wild animals, creating socio-economic challenges that require long-term solutions. He expressed confidence that the Centre of Excellence would strengthen the capabilities of both officials and local communities while promoting the use of advanced technology and preserving traditional knowledge.
During the programme, the Ministry also launched the National Human-Wildlife Conflict Portal, a digital platform that will support data collection, knowledge sharing and decision-making for conflict mitigation across the country. The first publication in a new series, titled Current Status of Human-Wildlife Conflict in India: An Overview, was also released, offering an assessment of current trends and emerging challenges.
Technical sessions at the workshop featured a live demonstration of the portal along with discussions on human-elephant conflict, human-big cat conflict and the role of technology and innovation in reducing wildlife-related conflicts.
The Centre of Excellence reflects the Government of India’s commitment to balancing biodiversity conservation with the protection of human lives and livelihoods through scientific, technology-driven and community-based approaches.
