The increase in the number of human- wildlife conflicts in India stems from a complex interplay of factors:

• Habitat loss: Rapid urbanisation, agricultural expansion and increasing infrastructure projects encroach upon wildlife habitats, thereby forcing animals into human settled areas. 
• Population growth: To accommodate the needs of the increasing human population, there has been a rise in settlements near forest fringes, thereby intensifying human-wildlife interactions.
• Climate Change: Altering and unstable weather patterns drastically affect wildlife migration and food availability, which inherently pushes animals towards human areas. 

For example- Rising sea levels poses a threat to the Sunderbans which is a critical tiger habitat.

• Fragmentation of corridors: Infrastructure and development projects hinder animal movement routes which leads to increased encounters.

For example- The Ken- Betwa river linking project poses a threat to tiger corridors in MP and UP.

• Inefficient waste management: Poor waste disposal practices attract wild animals towards human settlements.
• Scarcity of resources: Competition for the already scarce resources like food and water contribute to conflicts. Declining prey availability, overgrazing by livestock, etc., forces predators and other animals to venture into human settlements. 

For example- Leopard attacks reported in Gujarat and Maharashtra

Some of the measures initiated by the Government to address this issue include:

• Project Elephant: Aims to protect Asian elephants, conserve their habitats and corridors, and mitigate conflicts.
• CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority): Aims to offset lost forest cover, funds forest restoration and wildlife management
• NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority): This statutory body oversees Project Tiger, fortifies tiger conservation efforts and issues advisories on human-tiger conflict management.

Way forward:

While challenges persist, addressing this issue requires a multi pronged approach-

• EWS(Early Warning Systems): Confrontations can be prevented by staying one step ahead through deployment of camera traps, and real-time conflict alert systems. For example, the EWS for elephant movement in Valparai, Tamil Nadu, SMS alerts in Jharkhand.
• Habitat Corridor Creation: Initiatives like the Elephant Corridor Project by the Wildlife Institute of India aims to create safe passage for animals, thereby minimising conflicts. 
• Community engagement and participation: Involving local communities in conservation efforts and fostering a sense of coexistence is significant in reducing conflicts. For example, Project Hangul in Jammu & Kashmir (with the help of World Wildlife Fund), Colmmunity based elephant conflict mitigation in Odisha’s Athgarh Forest Division.

An integrated, multi pronged approach combining traditional knowledge, community participation, technology driven solutions and other well designed conservation strategies is crucial for effective conflict mitigation.