Can safer livelihood practices strengthen human-tiger coexistence in Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, India?

Safer and energy-efficient livelihood practices, such as goat and poultry rearing and the adoption of improved cooking stoves (ICS), significantly reduce human-tiger negative interactions while increasing household income in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve. A study across three villages found that forest visitation for fuelwood harvesting decreased by 70% per month and fuelwood harvesting by 30%, leading to a 46% reduction in annual human-tiger conflicts. Average household income rose by 20-25% monthly, indicating improved financial status. These findings suggest that community-based initiatives can strengthen social capacity for coexistence between humans and tigers, offering a scalable model for conservation efforts in densely populated biodiversity-rich areas like the Sundarban Tiger Reserve.

Bajpai, A., Sheel, P., Karmakar, S., Roy, A., Mehra, D., Sinha, S. K., & Ghoshal, A. (2026). Can safer livelihood practices strengthen human-tiger coexistence in Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, India? Societal Impacts, 7, 100191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socimp.2026.100191