Working Document Series Open Access 2010 RUF-34786

Land use/land cover changes and their impact on the human-elephant conflict in Laikipia West District, Kenya

Wellington EkayaT. W. MumuG. A. Olukoye

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Abstract

121 words

Changes in land use and cover between 1973 and 2008 in Laikipia West district, Kenya was studied. The district shares a boundary with a protected wildlife area that among others has elephants. These often raid crops in addition to competing for browse with livestock. The study carried out mainly using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology revealed that grasslands and plantations increased during the study period while the rest of the land use systems (indigenous forests, EwasoNarok swamp, dams and farms) decreased. In the same period, the elephant population increased while human conflict cases fluctuated. It is recommended that a migration corridor be established between Laikipia ranch and Rumuruti, Lariak, and Marmanet forests to allow movement of wild life without destroying crops.

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