As we wrestle with the countless conservation challenges, it becomes all the more clear that the interplay between humans and their natural environment is at the heart of every single environmental issue. Conventional conservation efforts are falling short sans the scientific understanding of the human behaviour in the context of the natural world. Modern conservation recognises the crucial link between the people, natural environment, and conservation issues.
Photo credit: Ishan Sharma
Wildlife conservation is the culmination of efforts of innumerable and diverse actors. Biologist William Lidicker once said “conservation needs conservation biologists for sure, but it also needs conservation sociologists, conservation political scientists, conservation chemists, conservation economists, conservation psychologists, and conservation humanitarians.”
The Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (WCT’s) specialised Conservation Behaviour team made up of determined, young social scientists is busy studying the interrelationship between communities and the forests they depend on, decoding the factors that motivate community attitudes, beliefs and values with respect to nature, and encouraging an environmentally sustainable behavioural shift. They also assess the psychological health of the forest guards across India’s Protected Areas.
Conservation and Science Writer Purva Variyar speaks to two conservation specialists who are part of WCT’s Conservation Behaviour team, Prachi Paranjpye (Conservation Psychologist), and Tamanna Ahmad (Development Researcher). They discuss the role of sociology and psychology in conservation, what it takes to work with communities and catalyse behavioural change keeping environmental sustainability in mind.
Q: Conservation, today, is branching out into extreme specialisations. That tells us how complex the endeavour to protect, preserve and restore nature is. As social scientists, you view conservation through a unique lens as compared to biologists and other natural scientists. Tell us about it.
Prachi: Yes, conservation is often considered to be purely the domain of biologists and naturalists. Anthropogenic factors are extremely important, in fact, they are responsible for the ‘need for conservation’ and that is why it is crucial to have a social science perspective. I think, we cannot exclude people from the environment. If we want long-term solutions, it is essential to keep humans in mind. I feel having a social science lens alongside a wildlife centric one will give us the whole picture and, therefore, ideas to address conservation issues holistically.
Tamanna: Well, yes. When one thinks about conservation, generally the first thing that comes to mind is wildlife and their habitat. But, by now it is well established that you can no longer ignore humans who are very much part of the equation as their actions have huge implications for the environment, which in turn boomerangs on humans themselves. So, as social scientists, we study human behaviour and their interactions with ecosystems to understand what’s the best possible outcome for both, wildlife and people.
Scientific understanding of human behaviour is crucial for implementing effective and long term conservation measures that safeguard the interests of wildlife and their habitats, as well as that of the neighbouring communities. Photo credit: Prathamesh
Q: Studying human behaviour is at the core of both psychology and sociology. Could you explain how the two disciplines complement each other, especially in the field of conservation?
Prachi: Yes, studying behaviour and emotions is part of core psychology. Understanding human behaviour is key when it comes to building solutions that keep both development of communities and conservation in mind. Understanding sociology gives an upper hand in exploring and learning the cultural aspects which play an important role in shaping the outcome of conservation measures. Psychology and social sciences like economics, sociology, political science, and anthropology contribute to a more nuanced and sensitive understanding of people and societies. It helps us to properly gauge the perceptions, attitude, emotions and psychology of communities who interact with forests on a daily basis. These factors play a vital role in the process of inducing sustainable behavioural change.
Tamanna: I am interested in the developmental challenges in conservation, specifically the equation between people, forests and the managers of forests. So when trying to understand people, their issues and attempting to catalyse behavioural change, it is human psychology that provides me with very useful tools. One can study emotions associated with forest, wildlife, Forest Department and people’s identities shaped by the environment. Human behaviour and social systems are complex, and leaving out any social or psychological aspect out would paint an incomplete picture.
Q: For the longest time wildlife conservation was a field far removed from humanitarian realities, despite communities getting influenced and influencing every aspect of it. Now, community-based conservation is the norm. Could you briefly tell us why it is so important to scientifically study the psychological impact of the environment on humans and vice-versa for conservation?
Prachi: Normally, development and environment are viewed as separate, conflicting entities which need not be the case. That is where the sort of work we do should be incorporated, I think. When it comes to community-based conservation the incentives should be considered too. If we want to implement community-based conservation interventions, it should be done scientifically for long-term results. Traits of communities, individuals, cultural factors, group dynamics and other social psychological factors contribute to the design. Everything that happens around us has an impact on us and vice versa. It is the same with the rural communities we work with.
Tamanna: Yes, thankfully because of this understanding, we as a team have the opportunity to do what we do. To explain why we need to deep dive and study communities and local context. I’ll give you an example. Say, someone wants to work towards reducing local people’s dependence on the nearby forest, a simplistic line of intervention is income generation activities with the belief that increased income will reduce dependence on the forests. Now, when we carried out studies in some parts of Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, we found that rise in income really led to higher extraction of firewood. And another important finding was that people who had LPG (liquid petroleum gas) cylinders as an alternative to using firewood for cooking, however had no viable alternative for water heating. So that’s when we designed and rolled out a pilot project to provide a sustainable alternative to water heating. We hope that the low-cost water heaters along with LPG will bring down the firewood consumption of the households. It will also have other benefits such as promoting better health for women, reducing human-wildlife interactions, and allowing women to utilise their free time more lucratively.
Tamanna (second from left) with villagers in Chandrapur District, Maharashtra. WCT’s Conservation Behaviour team has been working in several villages in the district to understand what drives the dependence of communities on the surrounding forest and developing sustainable alternatives to firewood consumption. Photo credit: Rutuja Dhamale
Q: As part of WCT’s Conservation Behaviour team that is working with the communities living on the fringe of the Central Indian forests, could one of you shed light on the scientific research being carried out on the ground?
Prachi: Research in the region has shown that on an average, a household of five uses 10-12 kg. of firewood daily. One of our main projects with communities revolves around arresting forest degradation by coming up with sustainable alternatives to firewood burning. We work with large amounts of data and psychological scales that are specifically constructed for this. The need for constructing our own scales arises because very little or no work has been done in this sector till date. When we think of psychology, we think of mental health related issues only. But it is not limited to that. A good case in point being our ‘bumbb’ (biomass-fired water heater) project. When we think of alternatives for water heating, the first thought that we generally have is community-based solar water heaters. When Tamanna and I collected qualitative data to further understand the needs of the community, it was seen that the locals in the region prefer independent water heaters over community water heaters and various factors are responsible for that. Individual solar water heaters are not an economically viable option. Here, the understanding of group behaviour and group dynamics through social psychology played a vital role. Hence, the bumbb was considered. Information or insights like this have emerged on the back of hundreds of qualitative interviews.
Tamanna (left) poses with a local in Kitali village, Chandrapur District, who has been provided with an independent biomass-fired water heater (bumbb) at a subsidised cost as part of the pilot project initiated by WCT. Photo credit: Pooja Dewoolkar
Q: WCT is doing some pioneering work that focuses on improving the work motivation and promoting psychological health of India’s frontline forest field staff in several states. Not much attention is bestowed upon the mental health of conservators. Prachi, as the team’s social psychologist, could you tell us about this project and how it will help improve forest protection efforts going forward?
Prachi: Historically, WCT has been engaged in building capacity of the forest staff through specialised training programmes in wildlife law enforcement, patrolling, wildlife monitoring, forensics, etc. WCT has also focused on the welfare of the frontline forest staff by organising regular health camps for them and by bettering their work and living conditions. As a natural process of evolution, we have started factoring in their all-important psychological health. This project started by identifying factors that affect the work motivation of forest guards. As we surveyed hundreds of forest guards in 11 tiger reserves across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the data clearly showed how their psychological health and well-being had an effect on their work motivation. Our study and analysis led to vital recommendations for the top management of the Forest Department. The results and inferences have been shared with Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh Forest Departments. You can view these reports on the WCT website.
Prachi (left) interviews a forest guard in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. WCT team is working to assess the work motivation of the frontline field staff across different Protected Areas. Photo credit: Aniket Bhatkhande
Q: Tamanna, you have lived with people of different communities in the Chandrapur district that is situated right next to one of the most important tiger habitats in the Central Indian Landscape, as part of WCT’s social research project. What according to you is the major factor that determines a community’s perception and outlook towards wildlife?
Tamanna: Unlike in cities where the idea of forests is alien or foreign, it’s not the case for those living in or around it. The forest is a part of everyday life here, when you go to collect firewood, or take cattle for grazing or cross a patch of forest to reach your farm. These daily experiences, these interactions with the forest and wildlife, whether positive or negative, then go on to shape people’s perception of it. And these perceptions do vary based on who you are. If you benefit from tourism then you might harbour a sense of pride for tigers in the adjacent forest, but say you are a farmer who feels wild pigs and antelopes are destroying your crops, then that is bound to sow negative thoughts. Apart from direct experiences, there are also cultural values, beliefs, rituals, and practices associated with the forest and wildlife that shape perceptions and attitudes.
Q: What advice would you like to give the future social scientists, with regards to taking the path of conservation?
Prachi: First of all, it is a myth that if you don’t have a biology background you cannot work for conservation. For psychologists, we all need to look beyond therapy and explore more spaces where psychology can be applied. Opportunities are just waiting to be explored.
Tamanna: As we have mentioned earlier, there is a lot of scope with respect to studying the impact of human behaviour on forests and wildlife. The space needs sociologists, economists, development practitioners, educators to use their lens to read and interpret the fine print of conservation. So, for a social scientist who is interested in conservation, there is so much untapped potential there.
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About the Author: Purva Variyar is a conservation and science writer at the Wildlife Conservation Trust, India.
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Disclaimer: The author is associated with Wildlife Conservation Trust. The views and opinions expressed in the article are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Related Links
- Conservation Behaviour
- Parley with the Mind
- Village Social Transformation
- Tiger Estimation outside PAs in Maharashtra
- Connectivity Conservation