Research overview: co-benefits of fortified bomas for livestock health and conflict

This overview synthesises evidence that fortified, predator-proof livestock enclosures deliver benefits beyond stopping depredation, including improved livestock health, reduced theft, and easier management. It reviews findings from East African boma programs that secure enclosures lower nighttime stress and injury, concentrate manure for soil fertility, and curb losses to both predators and rustlers, strengthening the economic case for adoption. The literature discusses how framing fortification around multiple benefits, not just lion or leopard deterrence, increases uptake and durability among pastoralists. The survey frames the multi-benefit narrative as a key driver of behaviour change, arguing that conflict interventions succeed best when they align with herders' broader livelihood priorities rather than serving conservation goals alone.