Gabon is rolling out an urgent plan to protect both its world-renowned elephant population and rural communities locked in a deadly struggle over crops and land.
The $6.5 million initiative, announced this week, aims to install 1,800 mobile fences, overhaul farming methods, and test a first-of-its-kind insurance scheme to compensate villagers for elephant-related losses—a direct response to rising tensions fueled by the country’s conservation success.
Home to 95,000 forest elephants, the largest population in Africa, Gabon has become a global conservation leader. But this achievement has come at a cost. As elephant numbers rebound, raids on crops have skyrocketed, destroying livelihoods and leaving families hungry. A recent government survey found nearly 80% of rural households in elephant-prone areas face food shortages, with women and children most vulnerable to encounters.
“We can’t save elephants by sacrificing our people,” said Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima, who late last year pressed conservation groups for solutions. The new project, backed by international donors and groups like the Wildlife Conservation Society, seeks to address this imbalance. Mobile fences—lightweight, solar-powered barriers—will shield farms, while farmers learn to grow chili peppers and other crops elephants avoid. The insurance pilot, modeled on programs in Asia, promises compensation for destroyed fields, though skeptics warn similar efforts elsewhere have been plagued by slow payouts and fraud.
Critics argue the measures are long overdue. Gabon’s vast national parks, covering 11% of its land, lack buffer zones, leaving villages exposed. “For years, communities felt their suffering was ignored for the sake of conservation trophies,” said a local NGO worker, who asked not to be named.
The stakes extend beyond Gabon. The country’s rainforests absorb carbon dioxide equivalent to 30 million cars annually, making it a linchpin in global climate efforts. Yet as elephants and humans collide, international donors watch closely. Failure to balance these priorities risks alienating rural voters and undermining Gabon’s role as an environmental steward.
While the project offers hope, challenges loom. Permanent electric fences, touted as a long-term fix, require costly studies to avoid ecological harm. And the insurance scheme’s success hinges on transparency—a hurdle in regions with limited infrastructure.
As Gabon navigates this tightrope, the world gains a case study in whether conservation and human survival can coexist. The answer will shape not just forests and villages, but the future of funding for a planet in crisis.
