Cali, Colombia – On Monday 21 October 2024 the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group (HWCCSG) presented its current draft indicator framework proposal for measuring progress in managing human-wildlife conflict. The presentation took place at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16). In a side event hosted by the Collaborative Partnership for Sustainable Wildlife Management, discussion focused on the development of indicators for Targets 4 and 5 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework which relate to human wildlife-conflict and the sustainable use and trade of wild species. During the session, the IUCN SSC HWCCSG presented the current draft of the human-wildlife component indicator framework, developed over the past ten months through an open Working Group that brought together technical experts and several CBD parties.  Speaking on the event IUCN SSC HWCCSG Chair Dr Alexandra Zimmermann stated, “Human-wildlife conflict is a growing problem and one that is not specific to any one region or species. Global trends such as population growth and climate change mean the importance of managing such conflicts and promoting coexistence will only continue to rise in the coming months and years.” “We were delighted to be able to present this work at COP16. In order to drive effective and sustainable management of human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence it is essential that we ensure adequate monitoring is in place. Our framework offers Parties a way to capture a number of aspects of human-wildlife conflict across different national contexts, priorities and needs,” Dr Zimmermann continued. Following the feedback provided during the session the IUCN SSC HWCCSG will further refine the proposal ahead of finalisation. Monday’s event follows the publication of the Spanish version of the IUCN SSC Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence  earlier this month. Having originally launched in English in 2023, the guidelines are now also available in French, Portuguese and Russian, with German, Arabic and Chinese versions in preparation.

While several targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) address the need for sustainable wildlife management, including managing human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) for coexistence in Target 4, and ensuring sustainable, safe, and legal harvesting and trade of wild species in Target 5, comprehensive ways to measure progress towards meeting these targets are currently lacking. For example, Target 5 currently only has one headline indicator that focuses on addressing the proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels, which does not account for all relevant species or the legality, safety, and customary use of wild species. Responding to this need, the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group has been convening an open Working Group for the development of the component indicator for the HWC element of Target 4. Consisting of technical experts and several CBD Parties, the Working Group has produced a draft indicator framework proposal through participation in a series of online workshops over the last 10 months. Similarly, the TRADE Hub project team, alongside organizations such as CIFOR-ICRAF, UNEP-WCMC, the University of Oxford, and the CASCADE Consortium has developed a proposal for a binary indicator for Target 5. These collaborators have organized an expert workshop, involving several CPW Partners and other institutions to refine this indicator and promote a two-way dialogue among stakeholders ahead of COP-16. Given their scope, these initiatives are supported by the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Management of Wildlife (CPW), a partnership of 13 organisations, with several partners involved in the development of both indicators. Furthermore, the HWC and Target 5 indicator development are both joint initiatives of the CPW 2023-2025 Joint Workplan . Aligned with five CPW thematic objectives, these initiatives emphasize collaboration among CPW members and with other non-member organizations, highlighting a concerted effort to address the multifaceted challenges facing sustainable wildlife management. This side event will provide an overview of the work done on these two indicators, present a draft proposal and related metrics, and receive feedback from the Parties for further refinement. By joining this side event, national authorities and other stakeholders will learn more about these tow proposals and engage in a two-way dialogue on their applicability considering different national contexts, priorities and needs. Date: 21 October, 2024 Time: 13:20 - 14:40 Location: Farallones - Youth meeting room, Plaza One, Cali, Colombia

Programme Officer IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group May 2024 The IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group (HWCCSG) is an interdisciplinary expert-based advisory group and think tank that supports professionals, organisations and governments working on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence by providing interdisciplinary guidance, resources, and capacity building. Founded in 2016, the HWCCSG was established to foster links between policy, science, and communities, and assimilate knowledge and capacity for human-wildlife conflict and coexistence management. For information about the HWCSSG’s work please visit www.hwctf.org. The role As part of our ongoing work on building capacity for human-wildlife coexistence and the IUCN Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, we are seeking a new team member to take on the coordination of activities around the development of complementary materials to the Guidelines, the planning of training courses, and development of a network of practice. Projects and activities to be managed by the postholder will focus mainly on: a)  Outreach and engagement with a range of audiences interested in the HWCC Guidelines and associated publications products, via meetings, webinars and presentations b)  Project management of various collaborative complementary editions, knowledge products and web interfaces of the IUCN Guidelines and Case Studies c)  Coordination of a network of practice and via the HWCCSG and joint working groups d)  Coordination of the development of a strategy and business plan for a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary IUCN HWC training programme e)  Supervision of an upgrade of the HWC library, incorporating new sections and linking to other knowledge hubs, as well as translations of the website f)  Planning of the second international conference on HWCC, including location and venue options, dates, partners, budget and funders, broad programme outlines. The candidate We are looking for a candidate with a postgraduate degree in natural or social sciences related to biodiversity conservation and likely 6-8 years of experience working in the conservation sector. Multidisciplinary subject knowledge and understanding of the topic of human-wildlife conflict is essential for this role. The job will require excellent project management skills, strong writing and editing skills, independent working and an ability to juggle multiple activities and demands and organize workload efficiently. The candidate should also be at ease with frequent communication with collaborators, working groups and stakeholders via email or zoom/phone calls. Detailed familiarity with the IUCN HWC Guidelines, HWCCS membership, products and activities will need to be acquired in the first weeks in post. This position will require at least three days per week (60%), initially for 12 months but with the expectation of extension thereafter. The preferred start date is as soon as possible, and the work location is flexible/international. It is a desk-based role with no travel in the initial phase, although opportunities may arise, and with meetings predominantly held online. The remuneration range is between GBP 28-36,000 per annum on consultancy contract basis. Applications should include a cover letter or email and an up-to-date CV and be sent to the IUCN HWCCSG Chair at alexandra.zimmermann@ssc.iucn.org  by 18 June 2024.

Human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) have become a frequent and serious concern worldwide, and often notoriously challenging to resolve, presenting parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) with real struggles to make progress in protecting both the wildlife and communities affected by this issue. The IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group recently published the first comprehensive global Guidelines on the management of HWC, which provide foundations and principles for good practice, with clear, practical and policy-oriented guidance on how best to tackle conflicts and enable coexistence with wildlife. These have been developed for use by conservation practitioners, community leaders, decision makers, researchers, government officers and others. This session will provide a briefing about the Guidelines, which are currently being translated into all UN languages, and additional resources available that may help parties manage their specific HWC contexts. The session will include: An overview of the key concepts, structure and selected chapters A discussion with participants on country-specific needs and the implementation of the Guidelines Launch new Russian edition of the Guidelines Date: 14 Feb, 2024 Time: 12:45 - 13:30 Location: Room Snow Leopard - Silk Road Congress Center, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group is an interdisciplinary expert-based advisory group and think tank that supports professionals, organisations and governments working on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence (HWCC) by providing interdisciplinary guidance, resources, and capacity building. Founded in 2016, the Specialist Group (SG) was established to foster links between policy, science, and communities, and assimilate knowledge and capacity for human-wildlife conflict and coexistence management. In December 2022, the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity adopted the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (CBD/COP/15/L.25) which for the first time includes HWC: Target 4:‘’ Ensure urgent management actions to halt human induced extinction of known threatened ….., and effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to minimize human-wildlife conflict for coexistence’’ As the proposed institution for coordinating the development of the framework for the HWC indicator in the Monitoring Framework for Target 4, the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group (HWCCSG) is establishing a Working Group that will aim to develop a framework for a global indicator that accurately reflects the multidimensional and context-specific nature of HWC and is both realistic and feasible for Parties. Please see the terms of reference here and the proposed indicator rollout process here. We invite both technical experts and representatives of Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity to submit their applications to join the Working Group here no later than September 15, 2023. *Note that joining the Working Group does not constitute membership of the HWCCSG. For more information or queries, please contact HWCCSG Policy Officer, Luna Milatović at policy@hwctf.org.

Oxford, UK, Thursday 30 March 2023 (IUCN) – Hundreds of representatives from conservation organisations, academia, governments, businesses and indigenous and local communities from six continents and 70 countries will meet for the International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, hosted by IUCN between 30 March and 1 April 2023. This event will also see the publication of the IUCN SSC Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, which will inform the creation of urgently-needed national policies and support action on the ground. “Human-wildlife conflict presents a challenge in every country worldwide, with disagreements over how to coexist with wildlife leading to stalemates and eroding support for protecting nature. Effectively managing how humans interact with wildlife is fundamental to achieving conservation goals, as highlighted in the recently agreed Global Biodiversity Framework,” said Dr Alexandra Zimmermann, Chair of the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group and Senior Research Fellow at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Oxford University. “This event, the largest ever convening of human-wildlife conflict and coexistence experts from around the world, is vital to supporting all those working towards enabling coexistence with wildlife and to achieving this component of the Framework by 2030.” The International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, hosted by IUCN in Oxford, UK, responds to Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at the UN Biodiversity Conference in December 2022, which calls for countries to “effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to minimize human-wildlife conflict for coexistence”. The event brings together participants from fields such as ecology, animal behaviour, psychology, law, conflict analysis, mediation, peacebuilding, international development, economics and anthropology, to collaborate on forging the path to achieve this target. The Guidelines, developed by an interdisciplinary team of 50 experts from the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group and external co-authors, provide the most comprehensive recommendations for good practice on the topic to date. The publication encompasses both the social and ecological aspects of human-wildlife conflict, which arises when wildlife poses an actual or perceived threat to human interests, leading to disputes between people. “In some parts of the world, human-wildlife conflicts are closely linked to people’s values, identities and beliefs, for example in the interactions between Indigenous peoples and the land. In others, it is a matter of daily survival and loss of livelihoods, such as where communities live in close proximity to elephants or large predators,” said Greta Francesca Iori, Member of the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group. “The new IUCN Guidelines provide a clear steer on how to go about managing these complex situations, and will inform the formulation of new policies and community-led action strategies for achieving coexistence with wildlife in any context.”

In November we held the third webinar in our Learning in Practice Webinar Series. The webinar focused on incentives and financial instruments for coexistence via a discussion of three case studies from Bolivia, Kenya and Botswana. Dr Ximena Velez-Liendo from WildCRU-Chester Zoo presented on “Of bears and bees: A journey into coexistence”, in Bolivia. Paul Steele from the International Institute for Environment and Development and Barbara Chesire from AB Consultants presented on “Human-wildlife conflict and insurance – opportunities and challenges”, in Kenya. Dr Anna Songhurst from the Ecoexist Trust presented on “Building an “Elephant Aware Economy” - Reversing the cost-benefit imbalance for communities sharing space with Elephants”, in Botswana. Following the three presentations, the webinar broke out into a moderated discussion with input from Dr José F. González-Maya, Dr Nurzhafarina Othman and Dr Loki Osborn, moderated by Dr Alexandra Zimmermann before Thomas Hofer from the FAO provided closing remarks. A recording of the webinar can be found below.

In October we held the second webinar in our Learning in Practice Webinar Series. The webinar focussed on community-led management of wildlife impacts via a discussion of three case studies from Zimbabwe and India. Dr Lovemore Sibanda from WildCRU's Trans-Kalahari Predator Programme presented on developing a community guardian programme to reduce livestock depredation in Zimbabwe. Dr Mayukh Chatterjee from Chester Zoo presented on the Terai Tiger Project and the primary response teams for efficient conflict management in India. Nandita Hazarika from EcoSystems-India presented on building communities capacities to coexist with wildlife in India. Following the three presentations the webinar broke out into a moderated discussion with input from Dr Jenny Glikman, Dr Loki Osborn and Dr Koustubh Sharma, moderated by Dr Alexandra Zimmerman before Kristina Rodina from the FAO provided closing remarks. A recording of the webinar can be found below.

Policy Officer IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group Full-time, 12 months The IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group is an interdisciplinary expert-based advisory group and think tank that supports professionals, organisations and governments working on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence (HWCC) by providing interdisciplinary guidance, resources, and capacity building. Founded in 2016, the Specialist Group (SG) was established to foster links between policy, science, and communities, and assimilate knowledge and capacity for human-wildlife conflict and coexistence management. To help achieve this, we are recruiting a Policy Officer to support the Chair and the SG in ongoing science-policy bridging work, including coordinating and engaging on policy matters with the major biodiversity conventions, as well as governments around the world in their efforts to develop national policies for the management of HWC. Responsibilities: The role of the Policy Officer will be to: coordinate the SG’s inputs into the UN CBD Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and COP15, EU biodiversity policy and other global or regional treaties and policies help to draft and coordinate inputs for policy documents by the SG to inform or influence policy on HWCC and the SG’s coordination of IUCN Resolution (WCC 2020 Res 101) prepare and maintain a new dedicated policy page and library section on the SG’s website support the Chair in communications with CBD Secretariat, WCMC Biodiversity Indicators Partnership, and other multilateral bodies on matters related to HWCC policy participate in and/or help organise meetings and webinars on HWCC policy, laws, and monitoring topics, help build HWCC policy-related resource pages and content facilitate science-policy bridging, including building links between capacity-building outputs of the SG (guidelines, technical resources, training courses), policy and implementation coordinate the SG’s regular communications with government Focal Points, providing information, inviting to events, answering queries, etc Qualifications: Candidates must have substantial knowledge of biodiversity policy which may have been acquired via a postgraduate degree, thesis or research on biodiversity policy, and/or prior work experience in this subject areas. Knowledge of the topic of human-wildlife conflict would be beneficial but not a requirement if the candidate has a demonstrated strongly interdisciplinary understanding of biodiversity conservation. The Policy Officer needs to be highly organized, skilled at researching information and processing communications, and able to produce clear and well-written drafts of technical documents. The working language will be English, knowledge of additional UN languages is advantageous but not a requirement. Position: This is a full-time position, initially for 12 months, based in the UK (location flexible), and with a remuneration of between £23,500 - £26,000 per year depending on experience. The jobholder will be employed by Jamma International and seconded to the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group, reporting to its Chair. The work may include the opportunity for some travel, although this is not a requirement. Applications should include a cover letter as an attachment and a CV, and be sent to the HWCCSG Programme Officer at info@hwctf.org. The application deadline is 24 October 2022.

We’re pleased to announce that the IUCN SSC Steering Committee has appointed the Task Force as a permanent Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. We will now be called the IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group. This reflects the clarification of our remit which focuses on both conflict and coexistence with and about wildlife, and our growing role as a permanent international advisory body of IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Since the Task Force was formed, we have developed a range of resources, documents and platforms for disseminating information, including the IUCN Library on Human-Wildlife Conflict, a Position Statement on the Management of Human-Wildlife Conflict and a Briefing Paper and definition of human-wildlife conflict. We have piloted training courses on human-wildlife conflict, and we are currently finalising the IUCN SSC Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict. We also prepared a major cross-sectoral International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, originally planned to be held in April 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aims and objectives remain as before, with activities in the next phase building on achievements to date and focussing on the following: Finalising and publishing the IUCN SSC Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, including consultation and pilot testing, publication, dissemination and engagement Supporting and actively assisting other IUCN SSC groups in various ways on the matter of HWC, e.g. the development of their own taxon-specific HWC guides or policies Acting as a focal point for national and international policy instruments on human-wildlife conflict-related matters, particularly the IUCN Resolution on human-wildlife conflict and the human-wildlife conflict-related Target and Indicators in the UN CBD Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Expanding and maintaining the IUCN Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Library – a frequently updated, comprehensive, multi-lingual online resource library of publications, books, videos, and other materials visited by readers in over 190 countries Providing a quarterly IUCN Human-Wildlife Conflict newsletter providing the latest publications, news about events and other HWC-related information Leading and organising the International Conferences on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Leading and/or facilitating Virtual Events linked to the International Conference to engage a wider community and facilitate learning and networking in human-wildlife conflict matters Acting as a Think Tank on the latest issues in human-wildlife conflict, leading research & new thinking to support policy & best practice, publishing papers as appropriate We’re looking forward to the next phase of this group. To stay updated, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and ResearchGate and receive quarterly updates via our Newsletter.

In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), we have been developing case studies on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence to illustrate key principles of human-wildlife conflict management and complement the IUCN SSC Guidelines on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence that are currently in preparation. Most case studies tend to focus on the human-wildlife conflict problem and activities completed to address the problem. While this can be useful for specific situations, we know solutions are often not transferable from one situation to another. Therefore, these case studies have been developed to highlight the process that has been taken in understanding, planning and taking action to address the situation. By highlighting good processes, the lessons learnt are applicable to a wide range of situations in different regions, involving different species and having different contexts. The first three case studies that are being published today highlight key aspects of community engagement processes and the ethics of engagement from case studies in Guyana, India and Tanzania. In Guyana, the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme is working with local communities to reduce human-carnivore conflict by conducting participatory research with affected stakeholders. By applying a community rights-based approach, it ensures that indigenous peoples and local communities are fully involved in the project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of efforts to understand and resolve the situation. In Tanzania, in collaboration with communities affected by large carnivores such as lions, hyaenas and leopards, the NGO Lion Landscapes have co-developed a community camera-trapping programme with the local communities. The programme delivers healthcare, veterinary and educational benefits to the communities based on the presence of wildlife on village land. The final case study is from India where leopard attacks on the boundary of Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai led to the establishment of the 'Mumbaikers for Sanjay Gandhi National Park' project. The project mobilised various stakeholder groups of local citizens to better understand the reasons for the attacks, conduct activities to reduce their occurrence and request assistance from the local authorities. The inclusion of local journalists in the project created an opportunity to change the narrative and perception of the situation. All three case studies can now be found in our new page in the Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Library, alongside the webinar we held in December 2021 on the case studies.

We've published a new briefing paper on human-wildlife coexistence. This briefing paper explains our perspectives on human-wildlife coexistence, outlining its scope, complexities, key characteristics and approaches to coexistence. We will be considering what ‘human-wildlife coexistence’ means in the context of human-wildlife interactions and human-human interactions over how to manage these during the next IUCN Quadrennium. You can read our new briefing paper in our policies and briefing documents page here.