The crisis was highlighted by the North West District Council chairperson, Itumeleng Kelebetseng during the recent opening of the Full Council meeting in Maun. He noted increased incidents of human-wildlife conflict as more wild animals move into settlement areas in search of water and forage due to low rainfall in the last season, which has resulted in dried rivers, lagoons, and water bodies. “We are seeing an escalation of reports of wild animals intruding farming land and causing damage to property, killing livestock and generally being a nuisance to communities due to scarcity of water,” he said. This concern is borne out of the incident on Wednesday where five elephants, probably in search of water, fell into Boro prisons’ sewage pond and had to be pulled out. Last week, problem elephants had to be put down in the vicinity of the private abattoir in the Kgantshang area.
The effects of drought have also seen dangerous hippopotamus being stranded in dried riverbeds and lagoons In the short-term, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) is providing water and feed to many hippos at lagoons in Nxaraga village, some 35km west of Maun. Due to slow flooding of Xudum channel that feeds into Kunyere River that passes through Nxaraga and the unsustainability of feeding exercise, the wildlife department is even proposing to relocate some hippos into the Okavango Delta where there is still sufficient water. The drought situation has also seen poaching become rife. Anti-poaching efforts to contain the situation are being hampered by the shortage of vehicles and aerial support for the wildlife department. Kelebetseng said “both commercial and subsistent poaching seem to be rising at the same rate, with antelopes, giraffes and elephants being greatly targeted. Predators such as lions and crocodiles are also being killed unlawfully for collection of their nails and bones for use in what seems like ritual practices.” He noted that the wildlife department and other law enforcement agencies are combating elephant poaching, which is concentrated in the northern parts of Ngamiland and is believed to be perpetrated mainly by foreign individuals from neighbouring countries.
The NWDC chairperson, who is also the opposition Botswana Congress Party (BCP) councillor for Boseja-South ward in Maun East, also pleaded with fellow councillors to “communicate with your electorate to assist in curbing illegal off-take of wildlife.” Kelebetseng further highlighted the effects of drought that have seen the falling of groundwater levels in the region due to lack of replenishment from the river system and local rainfall. Drought also affected the slaughter rate at the BMC abattoir due to the farmers’ reluctance to sell as their cattle have not been in good and healthy condition after the poor raining season. As a result, the normally high uptake period of April to May period only recorded a disappointing slaughter of 1, 923 cattle against a target of 6, 200 cattle. About 1, 027 (53.4%) of these were from both government and private quarantine while 896 (46.6%) were from outside Ngamiland. As part of mitigation against the prevalent Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Ngamiland, cattle earmarked for slaughter at the BMC abattoir is initially quarantined for 28 days. The drought situation has negatively affected the district, particularly the Maun water supply.
Groundwater levels have been in decline at the Shashe and Kunyere well fields, which supply Maun with portable water, due to continued pumping and lack of replenishment to the aquifers from their associated river systems and the local rains. However, Kediretseng assured councillors that “water supply situation in North-West District is gradually improving. Maun village demand stands at 15.62 mega litres per day against supply of 11.62 Mega litres per day which translates to 25% deficit. Currently, the Corporation is still implementing water supply demand management strategy for Maun village by optimising on available sources and bowsing in jojo tanks located at areas that are not serviced.” The water supply situation in Maun is expected to improve markedly as the lower Okavango Delta’s river systems along the Xudum, Boro, Santantadibe and Gomoti rivers started to receive annual inflows in April 2024. The 2024 hydrological year’s annual inflows of the Okavango River at Mohembo were slightly higher than those of the preceding year.
