Okavango Delta Management Plan - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

2.4.1.3 Settlements, Arable and Pastoral Agriculture
The dominant land uses in communal areas include arable agriculture, pastoral agriculture
and settlements.
(a) Arable agriculture is widely practiced by communities living within the ODRS. Dryland
farming and molapo farming are the dominant arable agricultural practices in the ODRS.
Settlements around Etsha villages and those on both sides of the Panhandle are well
known for dryland farming. Molapo farming is associated with communities around the
southern parts of the <strong>Delta</strong> where both maize and sorghum are cultivated.
(b) Pastoral agriculture is widely practiced in the area and cattle herds are found at various
cattle posts interspersed with villages and arable fields. Apart from those interspersed with
villages and land areas, some of the cattle posts, are also found in the sandy areas to the
northwestern areas towards Tobera, and the north-western boundary of Botswana and the
Caprivi Strip in Namibia.
For communities in the western and southern parts of the <strong>Delta</strong>, cattle posts are located
further west in an area that stretches from Gani in the north to as far down south as
Botlhatlogo. The development of the pastoral agriculture is greatly limited by availability of
water in areas lying far from the <strong>Delta</strong>.
(c) Settlements are small and dotted along the edges of the <strong>Delta</strong> and the main arterial road
that services both the eastern and western parts of the <strong>Delta</strong>. Thus, in the case of the
eastern side of the <strong>Delta</strong> for example, the area stretching from Mohembo East to Gudigwa
has about thirty-five settlements- villages, cattle posts and lands areas interspersed at
distances of less than 5km on average.
2.4.1.4 Game Reserves and National Parks
Moremi Game Reserve constitutes the only reserve within the ODRS and covers a total area
of 4871km2 which translates to about 7% of the ODRS. Maun Educational Park and a small
portion of the Chobe National Park fall within the ODRS. These areas are total conservation
areas.
2.4.1.5 Wildlife <strong>Management</strong> Areas
WMAs constitute 22% of the total area of the ODRS and these are subdivided into
Controlled Hunting Areas (CHAs – administrative units used throughout the country to
facilitate wildlife management).
2.4.1.6 Wetlands
There are a series of water bodies within the ODRS which are used for a variety of purposes
including fishing, transport, harvesting of veld products and tourism outside protected
areas.
2.4.2 2.4.2 NATURE CONSERVATION AND COMUNITY BASED NATURAL
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
2.4.2.1 Game Reserves and Wildlife <strong>Management</strong> Areas
The nature conservation initiatives within the ODRS include designating parts of the site as
a game reserve, namely Moremi Game Reserve, and Wildlife <strong>Management</strong> Areas (WMAs).
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