Restoring grasslands led to fewer human-wildlife conflicts in Kenya, research finds

ARLINGTON, Va. (Feb. 18, 2025) – A new study led by Conservation International scientists has found that grassland restoration can reduce both human-wildlife conflict and social conflicts in communities facing resources scarcity.

Grasslands, vital ecosystems for both livelihoods and biodiversity, are under increasing pressure from climate change and human activity. The Chyulu Hills region of Kenya exemplifies these challenges, as it is home to iconic wildlife such as African elephants and black rhinos, which share the land with pastoral Maasai communities. This coexistence often leads to competition over limited resources, sparking conflicts between humans and wildlife, as well as within the community itself.

The study, conducted over 16 months in Chyulu Hills, assessed how restoring degraded grasslands influences conflict dynamics among local Maasai people and wildlife. Data collected from over 1,500 households indicate a significant correlation between the expansion of restored grassland areas and a reduction in both human-wildlife and social conflicts.

Key findings include:

• A decrease in human-wildlife and social conflicts as grassland restoration progressed, suggesting that enhanced resource availability reduces competition and tension.
• A decline in reported feelings of insecurity among community members over time, corresponding with the benefits of restored ecosystems.
• Identification of gender-specific conflict patterns, with women-led households experiencing higher rates of social conflicts, emphasizing the need for tailored solutions.

“We know now that the number of reported human-wildlife conflicts decreased as the restored areas increased, showing that grassland restoration is likely to play some role in reducing human-wildlife conflicts,” said Camila Donatti, lead researcher and senior director for climate change adaptation at Conservation International’s Moore Center for Science. “We already knew that lack of healthy grasslands increases instances of conflict, but the potential of restored grasslands to reverse this trend had not been widely explored. It's heartening to see that repairing environmental damage can improve overall quality of life, protect wildlife and undo some of the less visible impacts of climate change.”

Grassland restoration (and protection) is a type of nature-based climate solution that can help communities better adapt to a changing climate. Conservation International, together with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, launched a carbon credit project in 2017 to help raise funds for forest protection, livelihood support and grassland restoration.  Conservation International’s work there also includes an effort, supported by Apple, that has restored 11,000 hectares of degraded rangeland to date and aims to restore 20,000 hectares by 2027.

“Our findings are very promising, and we want to continue exploring the potential of grassland restoration on climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity,” said Donatti. “We recommend continuing to track human-wildlife conflicts in the restored grassland areas, as well as the status of restored grasslands, while also scaling up habitat restoration efforts in new areas experiencing concerning human-wildlife conflict trends, like Chyulu Hills. There’s so much potential to foster human security and consequently protect wildlife through grassland restoration.”

For more about Conservation International’s work in the Chyulu Hills and Maasai Mara region of Kenya:q

• The giving trees: In Kenya, forests keep communities from the brink
• When COVID halted wildlife tourism in Kenya, one area weathered the storm
• In Kenya, global crises sparked ‘a new way to do conservation
• Chyulu Hills Carbon Project Impact Report
  

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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.