Legal Gaps Hamper Wildlife Conflict Response, Says Supreme Court Judge

Quick Summary

• A Regional Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Co-existence, jointly organised by NALSA and KeLSA, was held in Thiruvananthapuram on August 31, 2025.
• Justice Vikram Nath highlighted gaps in coordination between legal frameworks such as the Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Rights Act, and Disaster Management Act during his valedictory address.

– he noted that significant issues like wildlife corridors have minimal statutory recognition in current laws.
– He proposed solutions such as constructing highway underpasses, GPS mapping of wildlife corridors, and community education about animal movements.

• Justice Nath identified rapid development, habitat fragmentation, and climate change as key drivers transforming human-wildlife conflict into a daily challenge.
• Chief Justice of Kerala High Court Nitin Jamdar critiqued the idealized notion of “pristine nature” while advocating for a realistic understanding of forest ecosystems that includes indigenous communities.

– He cited examples illustrating ecological chain reactions: bamboo flowering causing rat infestations; veterinary drugs (like diclofenac) harming vultures leading to increased stray dog populations-which then attract predators into human settlements.

• Jamdar emphasized the fragile interconnectedness of ecosystems and urged stakeholders to consider unintended harm caused to both humans and animals when addressing these conflicts.
• other dignitaries present included Supreme Court Justice K.V. Viswanathan; Attorney General R. Venkataramani; Kerala High Court judges C.S Dias et al.; NALSA member secretary Bharat Parashar.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The discussions at this conference underscore how gaps within India’s legal systems hamper efforts to combat human-wildlife conflicts effectively-a problem exacerbated by developmental pressures on ecosystems across the country. Multiple laws with overlapping or contradictory mandates hinder coordinated action while leaving critical issues like wildlife corridor management largely unaddressed.

The ecological case studies presented provide crucial lessons for policymakers-demonstrating how seemingly disconnected events (e.g., use of certain drugs or altered crop cycles) can have cascading effects resulting in heightened conflict along forest fringes or rural areas where people coexist with wildlife.Acknowledging local realities such as tribal rights alongside broader environmental needs will be crucial in crafting integrated solutions rather than fragmented interventions that worsen outcomes for both humans and animals alike.

India’s path forward seems to lie not only in refining existing legislation but also prioritizing education initiatives for affected communities about preventive measures-both practical (mapping animal movements) and systemic (protecting natural predators like vultures).While challenges persist due to rapid urbanization coupled with climate change impacts, comprehensive strategies rooted in ecological balance may help mitigate conflict over time.

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