Vice President Nangolo Mbumba said human-wildlife conflict (HWC) should not be the responsibility of the government and the line ministry alone but that of everyone.

Mbumba at the commencement of a three-day National Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict Management here yesterday said human-wildlife conflict is complex and thus requires multidimensional solutions.

“The impact of this conflict on people and their property is a difficult challenge that conservation agencies and institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism are facing,” he said.

He noted that innovative approaches are being considered to reduce the level of HWC to ensure that the benefits of conservation far outweigh the cost and to build on the significant successes already achieved.

Mbumba also noted that conservancies are now benefiting 245 000 people in various regions.

He thus called upon the national conference to review and discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities in the implementation of this policy so that they may have specific resolutions and actions to implement specific preventative, protective, and mitigative strategies for HWC management.

Source: NAMPA