Does climate change exacerbate human-animal conflict?

In 10 seconds? A study published late last year explains that over half of small-scale farmers in a southern African conversation area experience crop damage from elephants. The study further attributes people’s food problems to declining rainfall from climate change.

Why are people and wildlife in conflict? For this study, the scientists surveyed 726 households across 15 communities in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), a noted elephant reserve. They state the results emerge as climate change leads to lower and less predictable rainfall which adversely impacts crops. Then, wildlife—mainly elephants—damage crops, further undermining people’s tenuous food supplies.