Guwahati: A major new scientific study has mapped how Assam’s rapidly changing landscape — from fragmented forests and disrupted elephant corridors to expanding tea belts and settlements — is fuelling one of India’s deadliest human-elephant conflict crises.
Published in the journal PeerJ, the study analysed 1,806 human-elephant conflict (HEC) incidents recorded across Assam between 2000 and 2023, including 1,468 deaths and 337 injuries, making it one of the most extensive long-term analyses of elephant conflict conducted in the state.
The paper, titled Landscape determinants of human-elephant conflict in Assam, India: Insights from two decades of spatial analysis, was authored by Athira N. G., Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Kalpana Roy, Ananya Dutta, Dheeraj Mittal, Parag Nigam, Anukul Nath and Bilal Habib.
Earlier studies on human-elephant conflict in Assam largely focused on individual districts, protected areas or short-term trends. Researchers said this is among the first attempts to map conflict patterns across the state over more than two decades, linking them to forest fragmentation, tea landscapes, infrastructure expansion and changing land use.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research.
The analysis showed that Assam’s deadliest conflict zones are concentrated near fragmented forests, degraded elephant corridors and agricultural landscapes adjoining forests, where elephants are increasingly forced into human-dominated areas in search of food and water.
Using satellite imagery, land-use mapping and spatial analysis, researchers found that shrinking and disconnected forests directly increase conflict risk. Smaller forest patches, broken habitat links and expanding settlement edges were strongly associated with higher conflict intensity.
The paper warned that Assam’s recognised elephant corridors are under mounting pressure from roads, railways, settlements and tea plantations, disrupting elephant movement routes and increasing encounters with people.
The study also identified tea gardens as an important part of Assam’s conflict landscape. Researchers found that tea estates often function as transition zones between forests and settlements, providing temporary cover for elephants while increasing the chances of encounters with humans.
Goalpara, Sonitpur West, Sonitpur East, Udalguri and Golaghat emerged among the worst-affected divisions, while Goalpara recorded the highest number of conflict-affected villages.
Among individual villages, Likhak Gaon recorded the highest number of incidents, followed by Jorhat, Ambari, Uttar Dimakuchi, Jogigaon, Gor Mara Gaon, Golampatty, Nagaon and Kathalguri.
The study also found strong seasonal patterns, with the monsoon recording the highest number of human fatalities and injuries as agricultural activity intensifies and elephants increasingly move through croplands and settlement edges.
Researchers further found a sharp gender imbalance in casualties, with men accounting for significantly higher deaths and injuries across all seasons. The paper linked this trend to greater male involvement in farming, forest-related work and movement through high-conflict landscapes during peak elephant activity periods.
A key feature of the study is its village-level conflict prioritisation system, which classified villages into high-, medium- and low-conflict zones based on incident intensity. Researchers said the approach could help authorities target mitigation measures more effectively instead of relying on broad state-level responses.
The authors said the findings highlight “the urgent need for integrated and context-specific mitigation strategies” in Assam’s high-conflict regions. Effective measures, they noted, should focus on “restoring forest connectivity, regulating urban expansion, and improving water accessibility in conflict-prone regions.”
The paper also stressed that “community-based initiatives, such as awareness campaigns, volunteer programs, and training local communities on coexistence strategies”, have shown promising results in reducing encounters between humans and elephants.
Researchers recommended restoring elephant corridors, improving habitat connectivity, regulating infrastructure expansion in sensitive areas and deploying community-based mitigation systems, including early-warning networks, infrared alarms and elephant-friendly fencing.
The study also suggested promoting buffer crops such as chilli, ginger, garlic and citrus in high-risk farmlands, as elephants generally avoid them.
Also Read: How a rare flowering plant connects Assam to Andaman & Nicobar
You just read a story that took days to report. Help us keep our reporters on the ground in the Northeast.
Ad-free reading, support and keep important stories alive
Support once (any amount)
Scan to pay via UPI