the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

natural resources of water and pristine wilderness that draws so many people to the
Okavango from around the world. In turn, the wildlife and their habitat gain value and
protection because they are important to visitors and therefore to the enterprises that
earn money from tourism (Mendelsohn and el Obeid, 2004).
The majority of local inhabitants of the Okavango region, however, see wildlife as of
no real benefit since hunting is only allowed, with the issuing of permits, in certain
areas of the region. Local farmers often experience problems from wildlife, such as
crop damage from elephant and antelope, and many farmers feel that the Delta is
'wasted' as a wildlife refuge and tourist destination, and there is often competition
between livestock and wildlife for grazing. It is therefore only a very small
percentage of the population of the Okavango region that experience direct benefits
from the preservation of wildlife. These are generally only those individuals that are
directly involved in the tourism industry, or part of successful community based
tourism projects (Makhajwe et aI, 1995).
Although often politically portrayed as an already secured resource, and even as a
conservation success, the Okavango is still under threat. Alarming losses in biomass
and bio-diversity are being observed in the fauna and flora populations of this area.
A clear indication of the extent of the problem is the decline in the wildlife population
of the region (OPWT, 1998).
Historical records and DWNP aerial survey data shows that most large mammal
species in the Ngamiland District, as well as the rest of Botswana, have significantly
declined since the late 1970s (some by up to 90 percent) (Table 7.1).
These declines in wildlife numbers are a result of a number of factors. These include
contractions in wildlife ranges caused by human development in the Okavango
Delta, competition over land and grazing within the livestock industry, and the
erection of veterinary fences, in particular the northern Buffalo Fence which has led
to the cutting off of the wildlife range between the Okavango and Kwando Rivers.
The fence will eventually lead to the extinction of wildlife populations to the west of
the fence, and to further declines east of the fence. The commercial and subsistence
hunting of certain species has resulted in regional extinctions in the Delta area. In
spite of adequate water, buffalo are rarely seen anymore in the Okavango outside of
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