Poverty rife in Okavango
Boniface Keakabetse | Tuesday November 29, 2016 16:47
This was revealed by ORI researcher, Moseki Motsholapheko when officiating during the Okavango Wetlands Management Committee (OWMC) at Maduo Lodge last Thursday.The workshop was organised by OWMC and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ngamiland Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project.
The workshop aimed to create a dialogue about issues of sustainable land management in Ngamiland by multiple stakeholders. Motsholapheko revealed that they undertook a research that looked into households access to capital in Ngamiland, which showed that that 47% of households in Ngamiland are poor and revealed that a large number of people are dependent on social safety nets.
Motsholapheko said there are 152,282 people living in 75 villages who are dependent on natural resources for survival when compared to other livelihood options. He noted that the research proved that only 31% of the populace is in informal employment. Motsholapheko stated that natural resources availability is dependent on the flood patterns.
Motsholapheko said there are 152,282 people living in 75 villages who are dependent on natural resources for survival when compared to other livelihood options. He noted that the research proved that only 31% of the populace is in informal employment. Motsholapheko stated that natural resources availability is dependent on the flood patterns. “Arable farming and livestock here are for example dependent on the Okavango flooding,” he said.
Motsholapheko said considering the significance
of natural resources to livelihoods, it is therefore necessary that a robust sustainable land management plan which is currently being piloted in Ngamiland through the SLM project is effected.
He noted that the advent of poverty, persistent climate change pressures like droughts
and poor soils leads to problems. Some of the problems encountered include resource conflicts between cattle and tourism sectors and rampant human and wildlife conflicts. Motsholapheko however assured all is not lost, but time for mindset change by utilising the opportunity presented by UNDP SLM project.
He revealed that SLM refers to adoption of land use systems that, through appropriate
management practices, enables land users to maximise the economic and social benefits from land, which maintains the ecological support function of the land resources.
Deputy director in the Department of Environment Affairs, Dolinah Malepa observed
that Okavango Wetlands Management Committee (OWMC) was launched to coordinate the management of the Okavango Delta Management Plan and to serve as anchor and forum for the communities in the district. She reiterated that OWMC also serves to support the UNDP SLM project and to provide synergies
in driving the conflicting wildlife tourism and cattle farming.
Malepa further shared that the 2016 World Wetlands Day celebrations will be held in
Ngamiland in February 2 under the theme: ‘Wetlands for disaster risk reduction’.