Okavango Delta Management Plan - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

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FOREWORD
In a water deficient country like Botswana a wetland of any form and size and location
attracts interest and is viewed as important to enhance the bio-physical and socioeconomic
wellbeing in that respective locality. While wetland management has come to be
recognized as an embodiment of maintenance of the integrity of freshwater bodies it should
be understood that for Botswana, management of such sources as well as surrounding
resources has traditionally been standard practice. It may not have been known as wetland
management in contemporary expressions, but it constituted an approach to sustainably
use the resources.
Recognition of internationally renowned systems such as the <strong>Okavango</strong> puts into
perspective the value that wetlands hold and the management attention it deserves. The
Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism in collaboration with the rest of government,
local authorities and organizations outside government joined efforts in formulating an
initiative which evolved into a programme which culminated in the development of a
<strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> for the <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong>. We recognize support from international
partners during this endearing exercise.
The <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> is a magnificent piece of creation which is sometimes referred to as the
“jewel of the Kalahari”. It is indeed an oasis in the deep expanse of the Kalahari Desert. The
river creates a unique feature which empties its water into the thirsty Kalahari sands
forming a great inland fan of channels and swampland - the <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong>. Geologically
the system is referred to as “endorheic”. The <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> forms the core of one of the
largest declared <strong>Ramsar</strong> sites or Wetlands of International Importance. The site, which also
includes the Kwando / Linyati river system, is located entirely within Ngamiland District of
Botswana. Many people derive their livelihoods from the area and it is also economically
valuable as it serves both as a source of revenue from tourism and source of water for the
region.
Developing a management plan for such a system was both challenging and indeed a
demanding task. The Government of Botswana is proud to have finalized the development
of the <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> (ODMP). The ODMP will provide a contextual
framework within which all other sector plans should operate within the North West
District. The ODMP strives for sustainable utilisation of the <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong>’s natural
resources. It is an initiative which was provided for in the National Vision 2016. The 2006
national celebrations to mark the ten years into Vision 2016, saw the Ministry of
Environment, Wildlife and Tourism through the Department of Environmental Affairs
observing its accomplishment in the completion of the ODMP.
Through the ODMP the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism demonstrated the
possibility for integrated natural resource management and actual testing of the principles
of ecosystem management of a key wetland system. The participatory planning and
consultation principles embraced during the development of the ODMP have brought the
broad environmental planning into some appreciable level and has enhanced cross-sectoral
planning. The implementation of the ODMP should in this respect be a premise for more
focused district development planning in future. We take pride in the Ministry of
Environment, Wildlife and Tourism in a successful imitative which is also endorsed within
the wider <strong>Okavango</strong> basin as a proactive gesture towards what could be considered as
Botswana’s contribution to an anticipated integrated management plan of the entire
<strong>Okavango</strong> river system by Angola, Botswana and Namibia.