Forecast-based action for conservation: Developing early-warnings of human-elephant conflict

Vicky Boult – University of Reading

Climate change and associated extreme weather events are threatening biodiversity, but existing conservation strategies have limitations. Advances in meteorological forecasting and innovation from the humanitarian sector provide a possible solution – forecast-based action (FbA). FbA provides a framework by which ecological and meteorological forecasts may be routinely translated into early conservation action, improving preparedness and minimising the impacts of extreme weather on biodiversity. Here, I will draw on learnings from the humanitarian sector to suggest how FbA might be applied in practice, specifically, to mitigate the impacts of human-elephant conflict in Kenya.