2023-07-19 09:14:31
Follow-up of national meetings on the management of the Human-Elephant Conflict
July 19, 2023
Libreville, July 18, 2022 – In its search for solutions, the government organized a series of actions, namely: provincial consultations (July 2021) followed by national meetings on the management of the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) organized in December 2021. From these meetings, three main recommendations were formulated: the provision of aid to HEC victims which is effective today; the operationalization of administrative rounds; the intensification of electric fence installations.
In terms of the intensification of electric fences as a HEC mitigation solution, the Ministry of Water and Forests, through the General Directorate of Wildlife and Protected Areas (DGFAP), the National Agency for National Parks (ANPN), and with the assistance of the technical partner Space for Giants (SFG), has accelerated the pace of installation of electric fences in order to secure the maximum number of plantations.
From March 2022 to June 2023, 251 mobile electric fences have been installed for more than 2,388 beneficiaries, with the technical support of the international organization Space for Giants, Gabon has adopted this method which has proven its effectiveness. “A total of 272 interactions were noted from March 2022 to June 2023, 249 interactions were repelled by the electrified wire, i.e. a success rate of 91.5%.”, specifies Claudel Tshibangu, responsible for monitoring and evaluation at Space for Giants.
Mobile electric barriers or those with high specifications are distinguished by the size of the perimeter they can cover. The former are reserved for small farms of 0.5 to 25 ha and are suitable for itinerant practice; the second are mainly set up around agricultural cooperatives larger than 25 ha.
But in both cases, the principle is the same: electrical cables powered by a solar electrical box. “The system is simple. Moreover, during the installation, Space for Giants trains the beneficiaries so that they can carry out some of the initial maintenance themselves.”, explains Evariste Tonda, technical manager at Space for Giants.
Free for beneficiaries, the installation of an electric fence is subject to criteria. You have to live in a village and have agriculture as your main activity. You must have been the victim of devastation by elephants and have filed a written complaint with the decentralized administration of Water and Forests or Agriculture. In particular, a report must be made using the CHF Gabon application (for human-wildlife conflict) by Water and Forestry and/or Agriculture officials.
The process is then well established. First, officers go on site to see the damage and check if there are any plants left to protect. At the same time, using the CHF Gabon application, the services of the Directorate General for Wildlife and Protected Areas analyzes the losses and initiates a field mission to discuss the installation methods.
MEF
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