Human-wildlife conflict: A bibliometric analysis during 1991–2023

Abstract

The escalating conflict between human and wildlife due to competing demands for limited space and resources has raised concerns worldwide, and understanding the dynamics of this conflict is crucial for devising effective strategies and policies. The present study is an attempt to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the published literature on the topic of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) for the period of January 1991–February 2023. For carrying out the analysis of the data obtained from Web of Science, the ‘Bibliometrix’ tool, developed through the R programming language, was used. The findings of the study revealed that a total of 1592 documents have been published on the HWC research topic from January 1991 to February 2023 within 338 sources. It is observed that the number of publications has continuously increased since 1991, with an annual growth rate of 5.16%. A total of 4995 authors have contributed to the targeted research field. Of the 388 sources, the journal ‘Biological Conservation’ is the most relevant and productive, followed by ‘Oryx’ and ‘Human Dimensions of Wildlife’. Based on the country production analysis, authors from 110 countries have contributed to the field, and the USA has the highest frequency of publications on HWC, followed by the UK and Australia. The USA also has the highest multiple country publications and has collaborated with 88 countries, with the highest frequency of collaboration with the UK, followed by India, Australia, and South Africa. The most frequently used keywords include ‘human-wildlife conflict’, ‘conservation’, ‘conflict’, ‘human-wildlife’, ‘wildlife’, ‘wildlife management’, ‘livestock’, ‘management’, ‘coexistence’, and ‘carnivore’. The present study identifies the most prolific authors, sources, institutions, and countries, as well as the study hotspots in the subject of HWC, which may assist researchers in finding the best working and publication platforms. Further, it may also help them identify reliable research partners to acquire the best findings and develop more effective strategies and policies to address the issue.