MITIGATION MEASURES FOR REDUCING HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT

“Helping rural communities adapt to their changing environments is my passion. Knowing that at ISA I’ll be able to support those struggling in poor rural areas and contribute to wildlife conservation, adds even more meaning to this opportunity.”

Evangelista Vambe has six years’ experience in the field of development communication gained from working with the mass media, non-governmental organizations and the public service. She works in overseeing the development and implementation of strategic communication and advocacy for Human and Wildlife Conflict and has conducted interviews with key stakeholders for national mapping and landscape analyses related to key health issues, drafting reports and key findings.

Her ISA project title is Mitigation Measures for reducing human-elephant conflict in Mbire District. The project aims to reduce human-wildlife conflict in rural Zimbabwe by introducing an innovative solution-the use of chilli bombs to scare away elephants from crops. The project will involve conducting research to assess the effectiveness of chilli bombs, developing a training program for farmers on how to make and use them, and implementing a pilot project in selected communities. The project contributes directly to SDG 15 Life on Land by promoting conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, as well as indirectly to SDG1(No Poverty) and SDG 8(Decent Work and Economic Growth) by reducing crop damage and improving livelihoods for rural farmers.