Busy as a Bee: Mitigating human Elephant Conflict in Cox’s Bazar

In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, human-elephant conflict is a complex socio-ecological challenge, exacerbated by the large-scale movement of refugees into the area since 2017. So, UNHCR worked with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS), and others to test nature-based solutions to this challenge.

The project aimed to reduce human-elephant conflict and promote safer coexistence between humans and wildlife through community-led approaches, including the use of beehives and crops elephants don’t like; test the economic viability of these approaches; and ensure their sustainability.

The results were clear. For instance, around 70% of households with beehive fencing reported fewer elephant raids, and around 80–85% of all project participants reported increased income. 

Read more about the project’s impacts, key constraints, recommendations, and future directions in this summary report.