Assessment of Socio-economic Impact of Human-wildlife Conflict on Agriculture: A Case of Smallholder and Subsistence Farmers in Eastern Bhutan
Karma Yoezer *
Department of Economics and Social Science, Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan, Bhutan.
Rinzin Dema
Department of Economics and Social Science, Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan, Bhutan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Human-wildlife conflicts are a great concern in where ecosystem services are shared between humans and wildlife animals. This paper examines the socio-economic impacts of human-wildlife conflicts. A descriptive survey design was employed in this study. Primary data were collected by using a simple random sample from 120 households. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency and percentages. The study results showed that there is a substantial social and economic impact on the smallholder and marginal farmers through the loss of crops due to wild animals. The majority of farmers (23%) had incurred annual household economic loss ranging from US$49-US$59 per household.
Keywords: Human-wildlife, farmers, implications, socioeconomic
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