Applying the open-LUCIS framework to identify and characterize human-wildlife conflicts: A case study in Botswana

Area of Science:

• Conservation Science
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Land Use Planning

Background:

• Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is escalating globally, driven by agricultural expansion, urbanization, and infrastructure development encroaching on wildlife habitats.
• Effective conflict mitigation necessitates spatially explicit methods to analyze competing land-use demands and their ecological impacts.
• Existing methods often rely on proprietary software, limiting accessibility and cost-effectiveness in resource-limited regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the application of the open-source Land Use Conflict Identification Strategy (Open-LUCIS) for mapping and analyzing Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC).
• To identify and evaluate potential land-use conflicts among agriculture, human settlements, and wildlife conservation in Botswana's Chobe District.
• To assess the influence of factors like existing land use and accessibility on conflict dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the open-source, suitability-based framework, Open-LUCIS.
• Integrated open geospatial data, expert knowledge, and goal-driven land-use modeling.
• Conducted a case study in Pandamatenga, Chobe District, Botswana, analyzing conflicts between commercial farms, settlements, and wildlife corridors.

Main Results:

• High-conflict zones were identified, particularly where commercial farms intersect with transboundary wildlife corridors.
• Sensitivity analysis revealed that existing land use, road access, and development constraints significantly shape conflict patterns.
• The study confirmed the spatial overlap between agricultural expansion and critical wildlife movement areas.

Conclusions:

• Open-LUCIS provides a cost-effective, accessible, and reproducible method for spatial HWC assessment using open-source tools.
• The framework is transferable and applicable to diverse, rapidly developing regions facing similar land-use pressures and ecological sensitivities.
• Findings support informed land-use planning and sustainable development strategies to mitigate HWC in ecologically sensitive frontiers worldwide.