Forest Fragmentation and Landscape Dynamics Shaping Human-Elephant Conflict in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, India

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) has become a major conservation and socio-economic challenge across Asia, particularly in elephant range countries, due to rising human encroachment and habitat loss. In India, HEC escalation is linked to habitat degradation, agricultural expansion, and linear infrastructure development. In the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand state, changes in LULC from deforestation, mining, and agricultural encroachment have severely altered elephant habitats. The loss of migratory routes has forced elephants to remain in disturbed areas, intensifying conflict. A three-year field study (2018–2020) across Porahat, Chaibasa, Kolhan, and Saranda Forest Divisions, combined with two decades (2000–2020) of LULC analysis, recorded 157 human deaths, 2837.90 acres of crop damage, 1925 house destructions, 3146 quintals of grain loss, and 35 elephant deaths, including nine poaching cases. Dense vegetation declined from 49.14% (2000) to 28.68% (2020), while sparse vegetation and agricultural land increased by 15.35% and 3.68%, respectively. Water bodies decreased by 0.33%, and barren land increased by 3.70%. Core forests (>500 acres) reduced by 16.86%, with forest perforation increasing by 15.69%. Only 6.7% of the district remains suitable for elephants, mostly in Saranda (44.2%), while NDVI shows 83.54% non-favourable change. Ensuring coexistence demands improved landscape connectivity and targeted conservation strategies, while exclusion zones need site-specific mitigation measures.