OUR STORY

The ACE Project started out with the recognition that stakeholders on the ground need to work together to manage human-elephant conflict, and that the situation will only get worse if we work in silo. Furthermore, habitat loss and fragmentation are affecting the movement of elephants in the landscape resulting in higher interaction between elephants and people and elephant-vehicle collisions.

OBJECTIVES

To jointly establish a working group and its relevant terms of reference for its operations which shall include to discuss, strategise and coordinate Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) mitigation and management in the landscape

To jointly establish a Technical Sub-Committee for the Working Group to provide membership or operational guidelines, decision-making and deliver goals for the Project.

To establish a basic Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) pertaining to HEC management and safety across the landscape.

To promote the enhancement of the capacity of all Parties, including local and indigenous communities to manage HEC.

To study, plan and propose management of the landscape as an integrated ecological unit, based on science.

To promote the establishment of corridors in the landscape to enhance ecological connectivity using criteria set by the Working Group.

OUR APPROACH

ACE Project focuses on adaptive management and capacity building. We collect data during the duration of the project to assess what works and what needs adjustments. We conduct site visits, and generate maps, charts and reports from our data, which is then shared with our stakeholders. The continuous cycle of data collection, analysis and discussion help to support our stakeholders in their management decisions. We carry out workshops, training and knowledge exchange between stakeholders to build up internal capacities within the plantations to manage human-elephant conflict responsibly. Once they strengthen their internal capacities, the plantation companies have the potential to scale up their efforts in other landscapes if they so choose to do so.

Adaptive Management Cycle

The adaptive management cycle is a powerful ally in managing systems that contain many uncertainties. Graphic Courtesy: Keith Sainsbury

01.

— Vision

Wild elephants thrive across their current and recoverable range in Peninsular Malaysia while coexisting with people in ecologically functional landscapes

02.

— Mission

To build friendships and achieve a collaborative approach with plantations in managing human-elephant conflict in Johor, that supports livelihood and conserve wild elephant population.

PROGRAM TIMELINE