‘Tourism is the best conservation’
Thalefang Charles | Monday May 23, 2022 04:43
The Chobe riverfront along the Botswana and Namibian border in the Chobe National Park comprises some prime real estate in Botswana. Although it is adjacent to Kasane, the area has been left undeveloped for the wildlife to roam free. The location offers stunning expansive views of the Chobe River. The famous Chobe sunsets – when the sun makes that dramatic changing of hues as it dips on the vast floodplains of the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers – are best viewed from the Chobe riverfront. There are incredible sights of the Chobe swimming elephants, hippos, herds of buffaloes, impalas, and a healthy population of birds.
Contrary to the Botswana side, the Namibian side of the Chobe River has villages and is not protected. It is a common sight to see Namibian fishermen in their mekoro fishing on the same river, something which is prohibited on the Botswana side. The animals too have learnt that the Botswana side is the safest and they do not stray far into the Namibian side. Elephants go for a drink and return to the Botswana side where they are protected.
This protected area has led to traffic congestion by game drive vehicles along the river as guides present the best of Chobe wildlife experience. The one popular route between Savuti gate and Serondela has often been criticised for unappealing traffic as guides crowd sightings with tourists.
During dry seasons when the waterholes in the Chobe Forest Reserve have dried and the river becomes the only source of water, the riverfront is always teeming with action. That is when predators like lions, leopards, and packs of wild dogs make their way to the river where the prey is.
In the wet seasons, the wildlife sightings are not as impressive because there is plenty of water elsewhere and animals do not have to come to the river to drink. This has left many tourists unimpressed because they do not find the famed sightings they usually see in lodge brochures.
To deal with the problem, government is planning to decongest the single route along the riverfront with new routes and more lodge sites.
Currently, there is only one lodge situated on the riverside inside the park, which is the Chobe Game Lodge. But that is all about to change as government has selected eight sites along the Chobe river floodplains and called citizens to present Expressions of Interest (EOI) to lease the sites for 50 years for tourism purposes.
“The allocation of the sites forms part of the proposed projects within the Chobe National Park management plan 2021 to 2026, which are meant to increase the socio-economic benefits that the park offers to Batswana,” stated the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in a press statement in April.
The area of the sites is located on the west of Chobe Game Lodge, in a space of 20km as the crow flies between Serondela and Ihaha. It is away from the popular Savuti elephant corridor, which is on the eastern side of Chobe Game Lodge. The Savuti elephant corridor is a major attraction that has seen rising traffic of game viewers.
The Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) has criticised the government’s move to set up sites on the riverfront as “the Chobe National Park is already experiencing significant environment pressure and congestion”.
“Eight lodges in such close proximity will have a substantial environmental impact, especially in relation to pollution caused by refuse and human waste,” argued HATAB in a press statement released in March.
The government has, however, added a requirement for bidders to detail the environmental impact and mitigation measures.
“For protection of the environment and advancement of the principle of sustainable land development applicants must provide information on the following impacts the project may have on the environment: Waste management, pollutants and emissions, deforestation, human wildlife conflict, air pollution, and noise pollution,” states a requirement in the EOI.
Environment minister, Philda Kereng, who led a media tour of the sites in Chobe this week, assured the public saying: “Measures will be taken to maintain the integrity of the ecological system of the park whilst ensuring great citizen empowerment and economic beneficiation through local participation in the tourism industry”.
The local tourism industry has for years been controlled by foreigners with locals doing menial jobs at foreign-owned properties. Several measures introduced by the current administration to allow Batswana to benefit from natural resources and improve their livelihoods through tourism have been shot down by some existing operators.
It has been argued that if more Batswana cannot enter the tourism business, this will be a threat to conservation because the locals will not appreciate the industry if it does not make economic sense to them. Tourism is therefore the best conservation method and that is why more Batswana are needed to participate in the tourism business so that they can help protect the natural resource.
This week government revealed that out of the 220 citizens that expressed interest, 72 applications have proceeded to the technical evaluation, and the process is expected to be complete by end of June 2023.