Journal Article

C2C—conflict to coexistence: A global approach to manage human–wildlife conflict for coexistence

Elliott, Wendy, Tenzin, Sither, Kinnaird, Margaret F., McVey, Drew, Banasiak, Natalia, Vannelli, Kate, Klenzendorf, Sybille, Gils, Elke, Hilderink‐Koopmans, Femke, Cranston, Kayla, Clemens, Kate, Gross, Eva M., Petrone, Sandra, Boron, Valeria, Marchini, Silvio, Moore, Jennifer F., Kansky, Ruth, Jayasinghe, Nilanga, Dahal, Smriti, Glikman, Jenny A., Bhatia, Saloni, Frances, Diana

2025

Overview

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) presents a growing challenge to conservation and development worldwide. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and experts on human–wildlife coexistence strategies have responded to this challenge by developing a holistic, globally applicable approach to HWC management that can be tailored to specific local, regional, or national contexts. Its framework addresses the complexity of essential HWC management and long‐term coexistence strategies and is implemented in a structured yet contextualized step‐by‐step sequence by a team of facilitators and multiple stakeholders. The C2C: Conflict to Coexistence Approach centers on four principles (tolerance is maintained, responsibility is shared, resilience is built, holism is fundamental), four outcomes (wildlife thrives alongside human presence, habitat sufficient to maintain viable wildlife populations, people able and willing to live alongside wildlife, livelihoods/assets secured against presence of wildlife), and six HWC management elements (policy and governance, understanding interactions, prevention, response, mitigation, monitoring) that are to be implemented in an integrated way. It is currently undergoing testing in diverse pilot sites across three continents and demonstrating positive initial results. Here, we share the framework and methodology of the approach and initial results and experiences from these pilot sites. We introduce the C2C:Conflict to Coexistence Approach, with its holistic and integrated framework and globally applicable methodology for the management of human–wildlife conflict (HWC) that can be tailored to specific local, regional, or national contexts. Its framework addresses the complexity of essential HWC management and long‐term coexistence strategies and is implemented in a structured yet contextualized step‐by‐step sequence by a team of process facilitators involving multiple stakeholders. The video summary is uploaded to our website on human‐wildlife conflict, which can be found here: Human Wildlife Conflict

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd,John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subject: Animal populations / Automobile safety / Climate change / Coexistence / Decision making / Environmental protection / Human-environment relationship / human‐wildlife conflict / human‐wildlife interaction / management framework / Planning / Prevention / Principles / Regional development / social‐ and environmental safeguards / socio‐ecological system / Wildlife / Wildlife conservation