Installing separate water points for elephants could mitigate conflicts with humans: Study
Installing separate water points for elephants could mitigate conflicts
with humans: Study
Susan Chacko, Down to Earth
January 15, 2025
A new study has highlighted the potential of separate water points for
elephants, located away from villages, to significantly reduce
human-elephant interactions in Namibia’s Northern Highlands. Water point
upgrades, such as protection walls, concrete dams, and solar pumps, are
helping to reduce human-elephant conflict in the highlands west of Etosha
National Park, the paper stated.
The study, led by Michael J Wenborn of Oxford Brookes University, United
Kingdom and published in the Journal of Environment & Development on
January 7, 2025, underscored the importance of ensuring reliable water
access for both humans and elephants.
The researchers observed that upgrading water points have ensured a water
supply, reducing the likelihood of elephants damaging infrastructure in
search of water.
The study utilised a mix of local ecological knowledge, field observations,
and records from six conservancies: Ehi-Rovipuka, Orupupa, Otuzemba,
Omatendeka, Ozondundu, and Okangundumba. Data from Event Books — records
maintained by community game guards to track wildlife incidents — were also
analysed.
The findings revealed no clear long-term increase in incidents involving
elephants at water points from 2012 to 2021. However, a spike in conflicts
was recorded in 2020 and 2021, attributed to the establishment of more
vegetable gardens following the 2018-2019 drought, which had led to
significant livestock losses. These gardens, closer to villages, became a
hotspot for elephant activity, with communities reporting more damage to
crops than to water points.
Despite this, the study noted that incidents at water points often have a
greater impact on communities. Damage to pipes and tanks can disrupt water
supply for weeks, with repair efforts hampered by costs and logistical
challenges in remote villages.
The Namibian government’s initiative to replace diesel pumps with
solar-powered systems has helped maintain water availability at holding
dams for both people and elephants. This has reduced the likelihood of
elephants damaging infrastructure when they sense water in pipes but find
empty dams.
Game guards and local communities reported a decline in serious damage to
water points, attributing this to upgrades such as the installation of
concrete dams and protective walls. The study stressed the urgent need to
extend these upgrades to other water points, particularly given the
expected increase in water resource competition due to climate change.
These upgrades are included in the National Elephant Conservation and
Management Plan.
A proposed solution involves building separate water dams for elephants
further from villages, reducing the risk of human-elephant interactions at
community water points. This approach aligns with Namibia’s National
Elephant Conservation and Management Plan.
Elephants in the Northern Highlands
The Northern Highlands are home to the African savannah elephant, which was
classified as endangered in the 2021 International Union for Conservation
of Nature Red List assessment. These elephants inhabit mountainous terrain
and share resources with poor rural communities who rely on limited annual
rainfall of just 50-200 millimetres. Climate change is expected to have a
greater impact on the long-term stability of this fragile ecosystem.
The study found that most incidents occurred in mountainous areas, with
fewer in flatter regions such as north-eastern Orupupa and northern
Ehi-Rovipuka, despite these areas hosting several villages and water
points. This suggests elephants might be moving across these regions from
Etosha National Park to access more favourable habitats.
The Community Conservation Programme, implemented since the 1990s, has
successfully involved local communities in wildlife conservation. However,
the increasing damage to vegetable gardens since 2020 threatens to
undermine community support for elephant conservation.
To ensure the sustainability of conservation efforts, the study recommends
pilot projects to test protective measures at vegetable gardens and
continued investment in water point upgrades. By addressing the challenges
of human-elephant conflict, these measures can help balance the needs of
wildlife conservation with the livelihoods of Namibia’s rural communities.