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

control is vested with central government. People in wildlife areas therefore have
very little control or ownership over such resources.
The fact that local communities play no significant role in the formulation of policies
regarding wildlife management is confirmed by the failure of the Wildlife
Conservation Policy of 1986 to provide for community empowerment in wildlife
utilization and management. Community empowerment in this case denotes the
training of local people in decision-making, provision of employment, provision of
skills and education in wildlife conservation, and ownership and control of wildlife
resources. According to Mbaiwa (1999), 49.5 percent of the 95 local inhabitants
interviewed in Sankuyo, Khwai and Mababe felt that government wildlife policies
have failed to provide community empowerment, while 33.7 percent stated that
community empowerment has been provided, but it is insufficient and inadequate.
The remaining 16.8 percent of interviewees had no opinion on the matter (Mbaiwa,
1999).
According to the 50 local inhabitants personally interviewed in the Okavango Delta,
39 (78 percent) stated that they felt that the participation of local communities in
wildlife management in the area was important. Only 11 (22 percent) felt that it was
not necessary. The 39 individuals felt that wildlife management needs to be a
shared responsibility between resident communities in wildlife areas and the
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP). Many feel that a combination of
both local traditional knowledge of wildlife resource utilization, and the modern,
scientific and legislative powers of the DWNP, would prove more effective in
achieving long-term sustainable wildlife management and preservation, than through
the present, top-down, centralized management approach.
7.2.2.3 Attitudes and Perceptions of the Local Communities
According to Mordi (1991) and Perkins and Ringrose (1996), the general attitudes
and perceptions of most of the local inhabitants of the Okavango Delta area are
predominantly negative towards wildlife conservation. The Botswana Government is
perceived to have usurped wildlife resource control and ownership from the local
people. Hence, wildlife resources are generally regarded as being government
property and not a communal resource. Findings by Mwenya et al (1991) in
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