LOCAL COMMUNITIES ON THE VEDGE OF CRISIS: TIME TO ADDRESS TRANS BOUNDARY HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICTS IN TANZANIA

Wildlife conservation is an important pillar of nature-based tourism in Tanzania, contributing 17% of GDP- roughly a quarter of foreign currency and over 1 million jobs1,2. It is also a vital source of ecosystem services. Local communities in the North-Eastern Tanzania are reportedly undergoing historical levels of unbearable Human-Elephant Conflicts (HECs) perturbations. Research reveals that lack or weak trans-boundary natural resources management policies are partly to blame.