Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence in the Western Himalaya

Organisers: ICIMOD and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)

About the regional training

ICIMOD in collaboration with ICFRE is hosting a three-day consultation workshop on 17–19 December 2025 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India to discuss human wildlife conflict issues in the Western Himalaya. The workshop brings together government departments, researchers, practitioners, NGOs, and community institutions (including Van Panchayats) to discuss the human–wildlife conflict (HWC) scenario in the Western Himalaya.

Through presentations, panel discussions, and structured group sessions, participants will analyse root causes, review existing approaches, and co‑design pilot measures for the priority conflict hotspots. Participants will develop concise pilot plans with clear objectives, locations, activities, resources, timelines, success metrics, and roles. A field visit is planned on the third day for participants to interact with communities affected by HWC.

Objectives

• Map and discuss HWC hotspots and challenges of local communities and pastoralists, including current prevention, mitigation, and coexistence practices.
• Build a shared understanding of HWC trends and responses across sectors and levels of governance (state, district, panchayat) to identify potential pilot sites.
• Shortlist priority hotspots and measures, and co-design pilot plans with objectives, locations, activities, resources, timelines, and success metrics.

Background

The western Himalaya landscape covering parts of India (Uttarakhand) and Fare Western Nepal supports iconic species, such as the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanco), and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), among others. Like other Himalayan regions, habitat loss and escalating human activities have intensified HWC in the landscape. Transhumant and agropastoral communities in the region depend heavily on seasonal grazing in alpine pastures. These areas overlap with habitats of snow leopards, wolves, and black bears, resulting in HWC, presenting a major challenge for these communities. This issue also extends to villages near forested areas, where livelihoods depend on agriculture and animal husbandry, and where crop raiding and livestock depredation are a persistent issue. However, HWC in the western Himalaya has received less attention compared to the Eastern Himalaya. If left unaddressed, persistent conflicts are likely to result in retaliatory killings, habitat degradation, and prey depletion, which can endanger wildlife and undermine local livelihoods. To overcome these challenges, sustainable coexistence strategies are necessary to harmonize conservation efforts with community needs. A comprehensive and holistic approach is, therefore, essential to promote long-term human-wildlife coexistence in the Western Himalaya.

Participants

• Forest officers, wildlife biologists, and conservation experts
• Key government agencies
• Non-Governmental Organisations
• Academics and researchers specialising in HWC conservation practitioners
• Representatives of Van Panchayats and community groups