Okavango Delta Management Plan - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Regional Protocols
SADC Protocol on
Development of Tourism
SADC Protocol on
Wildlife Conservation
and Law Enforcement
5
Signed in 1998
and effected in
2002
The objectives of the protocol are to
use tourism as a vehicle to achieve
sustainable social and economic
development, and to ensure equitable,
balanced and complementary
development of the tourism industry
region-wide
2003 Its principal objective is to establish
common approaches to the
conservation and sustainable use of
wildlife resources and to assist with
the effective enforcement of laws
governing those resources
1.4.3 INTERNATIONAL FRAMEWORK
The <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> is one of the iconic tourism
products within the SADC region. Within Botswana the
<strong>Delta</strong> is a major tourism destination which supports
the economy of the ODRS. The <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> also
forms part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier
Conservation Area. The intention is to offer the area as
a regional tourism product, hence the relevance of the
provisions of the protocol
Some of its aims are to assist in building national and
regional capacity for wildlife management,
conservation and enforcement of wildlife laws; to
promote the conservation of shared wildlife resources
through the establishment of trans-frontier
conservation areas; to facilitate community-based
natural resources management practices for
management of wildlife resources. The <strong>Okavango</strong>
<strong>Delta</strong> is rich in wildlife resources and hosts a significant
number of community based organisations who benefit
from wildlife resources
Table 1-3: International agreements and conventions with direct relevance to the ODMP
International <strong>Convention</strong>s
The <strong>Convention</strong> on
Wetlands of
International Importance
(<strong>Ramsar</strong> <strong>Convention</strong>)
United Nations
<strong>Convention</strong> on Biological
Diversity
<strong>Convention</strong> on
International Trade in
Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES)
United Nations
<strong>Convention</strong> on
Combating
Desertification (UNCCD)
United Nations
Framework for
<strong>Convention</strong> on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)
United Nations
<strong>Convention</strong> on the Law
of Non-navigational use
of International
Watercourses
Botswana ratified
the convention in
1997
Botswana ratified
the convention in
1997
Botswana ratified
the <strong>Convention</strong>
in 1978
Botswana ratified
the convention in
1996
Botswana ratified
the convention in
1993
The convention advocates for the wise
use of wetlands and their sustainable
utilisation for the benefit of mankind in
a way compatible with the
maintenance of the natural properties
of the ecosystem
The objectives of the <strong>Convention</strong> are
to conserve biological diversity,
promote the sustainable use of
biodiversity components, and the fair
and equitable sharing of the benefits
arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources
The aim of the convention is to
prevent extinction of endangered
species by controlling international
trade in the endangered species and
their by-products
The objective of this <strong>Convention</strong> is to
combat desertification and mitigate the
effects of drought in countries
experiencing serious drought and/or
desertification, particularly in Africa. It
flags effective action at all levels;
international cooperation and
partnership.
The <strong>Convention</strong> on Climate Change
sets an overall framework for
intergovernmental efforts to tackle the
challenge posed by climate change.
It obliges riparian states to take into
account the effects of the use or uses
of the watercourses between riparian
states and encourages harmonisation
of use
The Government of Botswana ratified the <strong>Ramsar</strong>
<strong>Convention</strong> and became a contracting party as of the
4th April 1997 and listed the <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> as a
<strong>Ramsar</strong> Site. The obligations under this convention
coupled with national interest necessitated the
preparation of this management plan.
The <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> is rich in biodiversity and genetic
resources, the use and conservation of which is within
the framework of this convention.
CITES deals with the trade in a number of wetland
flora and fauna species, including elephants, and
therefore is relevant to the management of the
<strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong>
The <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> is located within the Kalahari
Desert which is susceptible to droughts and
degradation. The utilisation of the vegetation
resources if not controlled properly may contribute to
desertification. The convention provides a framework
to facilitate action to combat desertification.
The <strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> is an ecosystem which is highly
susceptible to the impacts of climatic change. The
<strong>Okavango</strong> <strong>Delta</strong> is critical in that it acts as carbon sink
through carbon sequestration
It provides the legal foundation for regulating the
shared <strong>Okavango</strong> River Basin of which the <strong>Okavango</strong>
<strong>Delta</strong> is a key ecosystem