The recent death of 36-year-old welder Ali Akbar, who was killed by an elephant which intruded onto his property, has left his loved ones in deep mourning and hardship. Akbar, a resident of Shah Mirpur in Chattogram's Karnaphuli upazila, was the primary provider for his family.

His wife, Minu Akter said Akbar was killed by an elephant last October when he went outside at night to use the toilet.

The human-elephant conflict in Chattogram's Karnaphuli, Anwara, and Banskhali upazilas is increasing, largely due to the rapid loss of elephant habitats. At least 14 people have died and 15 have been injured in the last six years in these areas, as per data from the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division.

Meanwhile, poachers killed at least 14 elephants in these areas in the last decade, WMNCD data adds.

HABITAT LOSS

Discussions with local residents and wildlife officials revealed that a herd of over 30 elephants from Chunati Sanctuary began migrating to Anwara and Karnaphuli via the Sangu River, establishing a seasonal presence in the Deyang Hill forest since 2010. Additionally, a smaller herd of four elephants has settled permanently in the Deyang Hill forest since 2018.

Between 1998 and 2023,  the Korean and China Economic Processing Zones and a cluster village under the Ashrayan project was established over at least 3,300 acres of hilly land in these upazilas. This resulted in the destruction of critical elephant habitats.

The Asian elephant was classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature two decades ago, with an estimated population of around 400 in the country.

Wildlife officials report that significant areas of hill forest, once home to these elephants, have been lost to industrialisation, housing, and development projects over the past decade, although there is no official data on their habitats.

Satellite images from 2008 reveal a lush green landscape in the Bandar, Hajigaon, and Belchura areas of the upazilas. In contrast, recent satellite imagery shows that numerous structures have emerged in these regions.

Abu Naser Md Yasin Newaz, divisional forest officer of WMNCD in Chattogram, said, "Due to habitat destruction, elephants are being forced to encroach on human settlements, which is significantly increasing the human- elephants conflicts."

WHERE CONSERVATION AND LIVELIHOOD COLLIDE

Ahman Hossain, a 55-year-old farmer from Battali union in Anwara upazila, once cultivated crops on his 2.5 acres of land. However, due to the destruction caused by elephants, he was compelled to abandon farming in 2023.

The situation is dire for hundreds of farmers in these upazilas, along with over 20,000 local and foreign workers at the KEPZ, all living in fear of elephant invasions.

Anamul Hoque, a KEPZ worker, said, "Our lives have become difficult due to the elephants' incursions."

In response to the escalating conflict, the KEPZ authority submitted a letter to the district commissioner of Chattogram in 2022, requesting the removal of a herd of elephants from the KEPZ area.

Meanwhile, local residents have been protesting for years to evacuate the elephants.

"Elephants have frequently attacked our workers, jeopardising the security of the economic zone. That's why we requested their removal," said Mushfiqur Rahman, deputy director general of the KEPZ.

Anisuzzaman Sheikh, a range officer of the Joldi Range, said, "The free movement of wild elephants is being hindered by the various developments around KEPZ."

He said the government allowed the establishment of two economic processing zones on elephant habitats in Anwara-Karnaphuli without conducting a feasibility study, putting these animals at further risk.

According to Mohammad Abdul Aziz, a professor in the zoology department at Jahangirnagar University and a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of South Asia, this lack of planning has intensified the conflict between conservation efforts and local livelihoods.

SEPARATE ZONES

To address the escalating conflict between humans and elephants, the environment ministry has established a specialised subcommittee aimed at mitigating the issues arising in the affected areas.

This committee is tasked with implementing various measures, including organising a training programme for the KEPZ team to manage elephant interactions.

Key initiatives involve mapping elephant migration routes, providing training for the Elephant Response Team, and creating water bodies such as lakes or ponds to support the elephants' needs.

Contacted, Abu Naser Md Yasin Newaz, a member of this subcommittee, said, "We have trained the ERT and KEPZ staff on how to manage elephant encounters effectively."

However, conservationists argue that merely training personnel and using technology is not sufficient to resolve the issue.

Mohammad Abdul Aziz, a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of South Asia, said solutions like GPS tracking collars and solar fences are not sustainable long-term fixes.

He advocated for the establishment of dedicated zones for elephants, saying, "Creating a separate zone for elephants is a permanent solution. The government can facilitate this, as there are still many hilly areas available for this purpose."

Such a strategy would  also help restore balance between wildlife conservation and local livelihoods, he added.