Legal and institutional frameworks for human-wildlife conflict governance in India: Moving from protection to coexistence

India’s legal framework for Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) governance is characterized by the coexistence of two distinct paradigms: the protection-centric Wildlife (Protection) Act, (WPA) 1972, which prioritizes species conservation, and coexistence-oriented policies that aim to balance ecological priorities with human livelihoods but lack legal enforceability. This article critically examines India’s HWC legal-institutional architecture and identifies two mutually reinforcing governance failures: the non-justifiability of community entitlements and the absence of mandatory cross-sectoral coordination. Through legal analysis, comparative state-level compensation data, and governance scholarship, the study evaluates the provisions, amendments, and implementation gaps of the WPA. Three reform imperatives are identified: establishing compensation as a statutory right with national minimum standards, instituting legally mandated cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms, and procedurally linking the Forest Rights Act (2006) with the WPA to integrate communities as governance partners. Advancing from a protectionist to a coexistence framework necessitates making community entitlements justiciable, mandating inter-sectoral coordination, and ensuring meaningful local participation.