“EVALUATING COMPENSATION MECHANISMS FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN–WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN INDIA”

AUTHOR – STEVE RAJU, STUDENT AT CHRIST UNIVERSITY BANGLORE

BEST CITATION – STEVE RAJU, “EVALUATING COMPENSATION MECHANISMS FOR VICTIMS OF HUMAN–WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN INDIA”, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (3) OF 2026, PG. 896-908, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

Human-wildlife clash has become one of the most urgent issues in the conservation and human livelihood interface in India. The high level of habitat fragmentation, urbanization and encroachment into forested territory have increased human and wild animal interaction, which has in most cases led to loss of life, injuries, crop losses, and property damages. To address these effects, there has been the establishment of some compensation systems by both the Central and State governments both within the statutory provisions through the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as well as through policy provisions and administrative schemes. But these processes are usually marred with delays, bureaucracies, insufficient financial alleviation and interstate inconsistencies. In this paper, the current compensation systems will be assessed in terms of their legal foundation, the efficacy of the procedures and the problems related to their implementation. It also examines the judicial intervention and case law which has influenced the right to remedy against victims of human-wildlife conflict. The paper critically pinpoints structural firewall to accessibility, uniformity, and fairness. Lastly, the paper proposes some reforms that should be adopted to standardize the compensation policies and the establishment of a separate quasi-judicial system, which should address the mitigation of conflicts. The research puts the whole issue in context of the larger discourse of environmental justice to highlight the dire need to implement a rights based, transparent, and sustainable compensation system to victims of human-wildlife conflict in India.

Keywords: Human–Wildlife Conflict; Compensation; Environmental Justice; Wildlife Law; Victims’ Rights; India; Policy Reform