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CBNRM SUPPORT PROGRAMME PHASE I CLOSING
As most of you might be aware of the CBNRM Support Programme Phase 1 jointly managed by SNV and IUCN and funded by SNV and Hivos has come to an end. Although the programme officially ends on the 31st December 2003, on the 16th of December the CBNRM Support Programme Adviser, Nico Rozemeijer, took his flight back home to the Netherlands. We will always remember Nico as an extraordinary colleague and an incredible professional who we owe many of the contributions and improvements that CBNRM has seen in Botswana in the past few years. We all wish him well in his life and hope he will find his way through the "European jungle" as much as he had found his way in the "desert" of Botswana. Good luck from Botswana and "tsamaya sentle".
(IUCN, December 2003)
IUCN-THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION CELEBRATES THE ADMISSION OF ITS 1000TH MEMBER
Gland, Switzerland, 4 December 2003 (IUCN) - IUCN - The World
Conservation Union, has admitted the 1000th organisation to its
unique and ever-growing membership comprising States, government
agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The 30 new
members to this 55 years old partnership were admitted at the
59th Sitting of the IUCN Council held on December 1-3, 2003 in
Gland, Switzerland.
"Admitting new organisations does not just signify an increase
in numbers of the Union's members but also an increase in new
ideas and approaches to conservation and development," says
Mr Alistair Gammell, Director of the Royal Society for the Protection
of Birds and Chair of the Membership Committee of the IUCN Council.
"New ideas and approaches continue to make IUCN the world's
most experienced and respected conservation body, demonstrating
an innovative conservation alliance of key stakeholders,"
he says.
The Union's ever-growing influence and strength arises from the
diversity of its membership and its belief in the fact that conservation
will succeed where there is capacity to act collectively and when
actions are based on sound knowledge. These admissions bring organisations
from all the continents thereby convening both the North and the
South. The newly admitted organisations are working in such areas
as areas as protected areas and ecosystem management, rural development;
water, wetlands, marine and coastal management; drylands; poverty
and sustainable use of natural resources; wildlife; climate change
and conservation finance.
"The planet's environmental and development challenges can
no longer be solved by nations and communities in isolation,"
says Ms Yolanda Kakabadse, the IUCN President. "The Union
is the only platform where States, government agencies and NGOs
bring their differences and diverse needs and, through dialogue,
find ways forward on possible pathways," says Kakabadse.
Celebrating the 1000th Member
The 1000th member of IUCN is Grupo Ecologico Sierra Gorda (GESG)
from Mexico and it demonstrates the calibre of members IUCN has.
Established in 1987, GESG is a co-manager of the 383,000 hectare
Biosphere Reserve, and has made considerable inroads into the
community through engaging most of Sierra Gorda's 100,000 residents
in promoting the wellbeing of both the environment and people.
The Reserve, which is part of UNESCO's Man and Biosphere World
Network, has 360 bird species, 130 mammal species, 71 reptile
species and 23 amphibian species. Also it is believed that around
30% of the butterfly species of the national territory are found
there.
CBNRM - BACK TO THE FUTURE, THIRD NATIONAL CBNRM CONFERENCE, GABORONE 25TH AND 26TH OF NOVEMBER 2003
Officially opening the 2003 National CBNRM Conference in Gaborone
last week, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Environment,
Wildlife and Tourism, Dr. Lucas Gakale stated: "Since the
formation of the first community organisation in the Chobe Enclave
in 1993, CBOs operating in 9 districts have mushroomed to over
60 in 2003. Likewise, revenues have grown to 8.5 million in 2002,
benefiting over 100 villages".
CBNRM (Community-based Natural Resources Management) is suitable
for Botswana since it mobilises rural communities to sustainably
use local resources thereby instilling a sense of ownership over
those resources with which the country is abundantly endowed.
These include wildlife and other natural resources, scenic beauty
and cultural heritage. Not only does this sense of ownership encourage
the conservation of the very resources the communities depend
on but they also create the opportunities for communities to generate
economic development. Conservation and deriving benefits are two
sides of the same coin called CBNRM.
Also, CBNRM does not require capital intensive investment and
is hence particularly suited for marginal areas with few development
alternatives such as western and northern Botswana. CBNRM encourages
private companies to enter into joint venture agreements with
local communities to their mutual advantage. Generally, joint
venture partners bring in critical resources such as tourism and
enterprise skills, access to markets and funding sources, pay
substantial amounts to communities, and many also deliver community
funds/ social responsibility programmes.
CBNRM projects, Dr. Gakale said, are mostly associated with hunting
and tourism but recent data show that many more natural resources
fit into the CBNRM programme. Examples are marketing of veld products,
community management of National Monuments, fisheries and forestry
products. In that regard it was worth mentioning that communities
involved in CBNRM can be currently found in 9 out of the 10 districts
of Botswana.
The remarks from Dr. Gakale were illustrated when the Conference
offered him a "CBNRM basket" containing 19 natural resource
products made in Botswana ranging from herbal teas from Kweneng
to morula jams from the Tswapong area.
The message from Dr. Gakale was echoed by Ms. Masego Madzwamuse,
IUCN Botswana Country Programme Coordinator, when presenting her
key note paper. She emphasised the rapid expansion of CBNRM in
Botswana currently covering more than 60 community organisations
in 100 villages with more than 100.000 people as well as the involvement
of a multitude of stakeholders at all levels. The 60-plus Community-based
Organisations being the focus of CBNRM projects are assisted by
7 Government Departments, 8 NGOs, international donor agencies,
research institutes and the private sector. To further develop
the CBNRM approach in Botswana it is important that these stakeholders
co-ordinate, co-operate and share lessons. The Third National
CBNRM Conference of the 25th-26th of November is an illustration
of this need.
The Conference, Ms Madzwamuse said, is also an excellent opportunity
to translate issues and the lessons learnt into recommendations
towards policy and improved implementation. She urged the Conference
to provide guidance to Government in finalising the long-awaited
CBNRM Policy.
Key issues that were discussed during the 2 days included the
introduction of mechanisms to ensure that households more directly
benefit from CBNRM; the possible ways to ensure better financial
management at community level; encouragement of more viable enterprise
development; and the ongoing need of capacity building and facilitation
of CBNRM projects.
The Third National CBNRM Conference was organised by the National
CBNRM Forum through its secretariat IUCN and attended by 130 people
from all over Botswana. Funding for the Conference came from UNDP-GEF/SGP
and the CBNRM Support Programme (through HIVOS).
(National CBNRM Forum Secretariat and Mmegi Centre-spread 5.
December 2003, pg. 16+33)
GOOD NEWS FOR BOTSWANA'S WILD PLANTS
The Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) Project will conduct its first
plant collecting expedition in Botswana from 5-16 November. This
is good news for wild plants in Botswana, as it means that seeds
will be collected in the wild and placed in long-term secure storage
and should these species go extinct in the wild they will not
be lost for good.
The MSB Project in Botswana will start by focusing on 400 rare,
endangered, endemic and economically important species as these
are most under threat from climatic change, population and livestock
pressure and over harvesting. Gradually, a national seed collection
accompanied by vital botanical information will be built up. A
core collection of seeds will be held at the national seed bank
at Sebele while a duplicate collection will be stored in the state
of the art Millennium Seed Bank in the UK for additional security.
Upon application to the National Plant Genetic Resources Centre,
part of the collections could be made available for research,
re-introductions where the original plant populations have disappeared
and for habitat restoration, for example restoring mining areas
or other degraded areas. This means that indigenous plants can
be used instead of exotic species.
What is the Millennium Seed Bank Project?
The Millennium Seed Bank Project is a global plant conservation
initiative coordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Kew,
in the UK. The main aim of the project, which is designed in line
with the Convention of Biological Diversity to which Botswana
is a signatory, is to collect and conserve seeds from wild plants
around the world. These seeds will then be dried and stored in
giant freezers where they can survive for at least 200 years,
and some seeds even longer. This provides an insurance policy
so that if the plants go extinct in the wild, the species and
its genetic material are not lost forever.
Botswana participants
The Millennium Seed Bank Project in Botswana is a partnership
between RBG Kew, the Department of Integrated Agricultural Research
in the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Herbarium and National
Botanical Gardens, which are part of the National Museum and Art
Gallery, and Veldproducts Research and Development, a well-known
environmental NGO. The five year project was signed on 14 February
2003 by the office of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Agriculturet with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Why save wild plants?
Plants are the basis for all life on earth. They are often under
valued and taken for granted even though they provide food, building
material, lifesaving medicines and fuelwood, and are vital ingredients
in all ecosystems providing food and shelter for wildlife. Until
recently wild Botswana plants have received very little protection
despite their importance and the many threats they face. Climate
change, population and livestock pressure, invasion of exotic
and alien plants, unsustainable harvesting of veld products mean
that more and more wild plants are becoming scarce. The indigenous
knowledge that is attached to the plants is also slowly disappearing.
Plants are not even entirely safe in nature reserves and national
parks as they are browsed by wild animals and sometimes destroyed
by fire, drought or flooding. The loss of Earth's biodiversity
is one of the tragedies of our age - once a species becomes extinct,
it is lost forever.
When a species disappears we not only lose the potential benefits
to humans, such as sources of valuable chemical compounds which
can be used to cure diseases, or important genes to improve our
crops, the ecosystems as a whole suffers with reduced productivity
as a result.
For further information please contact: Mr T. Ofentse, Department
of Integrated Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture,
E-mail: tofentse@gov.bw Or
Birgitta Farrington, E-mail: farrington@info.bw
CLIMATE CHANGE KILLS 160,000 A YEAR, SAYS EXPERT
Climate change is causing 160,000 deaths a year, according to
a public health expert. The claim was made in a speech delivered
at the recent World Climate Change Conference in Moscow by Professor
Andy Haines of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Haines warned participants that "the disease burden caused
by climate change could almost double by 2020" as the range
of malaria, tick-borne encephalitis and other diseases increases
due to climate change. He also predicted an increase in malnutrition
and starvation as a result of a rise in extreme weather conditions
such as droughts and floods.
In related news, experts also revealed that as many as 35,000
people died during the heat wave that struck Europe two months
ago. Temperatures in August hit record highs across the continent,
claiming thousands of lives in the UK, France, Germany and elsewhere.
Such temperatures are set to become increasingly common as a result
of climate change. Links to further information CNN News, 1 October
2003
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/10/01/warming.deaths.reut/index.html
ENS News Service, 9 October 2003
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2003/2003-10-09-02.asp
RUSSIA UNDECIDED ON CLIMATE DEAL
Russian president has said, his country remains undecided on whether
or not to sign the Kyoto agreement on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Opening a major international conference on climate change in
Moscow he said his government was still studying the protocol.
Russia's approval is vital for the 1997 pact to acquire the force
of international law, after the United States pulled out two years
ago. Putin had been urged to use the conference to confirm Russia's
ratification and his comments have drawn protests from the United
Nations, the European Union and environmentalists. To come into
effect, the protocol requires the ratification of countries representing
at least 55% of the global total of carbon dioxide emissions.
(The Botswana Guardian, October 3rd 2003, pg 19)
VENSON TO CLEAR TOURISM OF RACISM
The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism is all out to
clean the mess in the tourism industry to ensure that the sector
contributes maximally to the country Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Tourism currently contributes about five percent to the GDP. It
has also been identified by government as an alternative engine
of growth away from diamonds. In a wide ranging interview with
the Botswana Guardian the minister said that by making tourists
spend more time and money in the country, this will be one way
to generate employment. "In Chobe we want to encourage more
Batswana to own parts in the tour operating businesses. We want
Batswana businesses to be sub-contracted". On the type of
tourism to be promoted, she said the country should promote low
volume high quality tourism.
(The Botswana Guardian, October 17th 2003, pg 25)
ANGOLAN PEACE GOOD FOR LOCAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS
Kalahari Conservation Society (KCS) chairman, Louis Nchindo, says
the end of the war in Angola has provided a window of opportunity
to enhance conservation efforts in Botswana. "the participation
of Angola in the management programmes of the Okavango river upstream
has become a reality. Botswana is currently reviewing the elephant
management plan and the more feasible and less controversial option
is to facilitate cross-border movements of elephants through the
Caprivi strip in Namibia and Kwando Kubango province in Angola
due to peace that has come to those areas. We have to be courageous
and steadfast in championing sustainable utilisation of natural
resources, at the same time ensuring that our obligations to the
international community are safeguarded".
(The Botswana Guardian, October 24th 2003, pg 28)
USE NATURAL RESOURCES APPROPRIATELY
The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Pelonomi Venson,
says there is need to use natural resources efficiently, fairly
and in a sustainable manner. Speaking at a workshop on the Integrated
management of the Okavango Delta System in Maun, she said the
natural beauty and abundant wildlife resources must be protected
while deriving maximum benefits from them. The Minister said the
Okavango delta was particularly significant as one of the largest
remaining inland wetland ecosystem in the world. Wetlands, she
said, were among the most biologically productive ecosystems in
the world. She said it was crucial that water development plans
must be carefully considered to protect the biodiversity, which
could be threatened by the use of water for development purposes.
Venson said population pressure had led to unsustainable use of
resources by the residents. "Expansion of the human activities
without assistance to local communities in management, control
and ownership has placed tremendous pressure on biophysical resources
of the delta", she said. Finally, as part of the efforts
to protect the delta and the environment, Botswana is a signatory
to the Ramsar Convention on wetlands and other international,
environmental conventions, treaties and agreements.
(The Daily News, October 15th, pg.4)
V TH IUCN WORLD PARKS CONGRESS SETS AGENDA FOR NEXT DECADE,
SPURS CONSERVATION INITIATIVES FOR AFRICA
Durban, South Africa, 17 September (IUCN) - The V th IUCN World
Parks Congress closes today in Durban, South Africa with participants
agreeing on new commitments and policy guidance for protected
areas worldwide. "Tomorrow 3000 delegates will return to
their home countries armed with the Durban Accord, Action Plan
and Recommendations, as well as new knowledge and contacts. For
the past ten days, parks were center stage and at the front of
people's minds, and we hope they will remain so beyond Durban,"
says Achim Steiner, Director General of IUCN - The World Conservation
Union.
The Closing Plenary of the Congress delivered the Durban Accord
- a succinct statement for the future of protected areas, an Action
Plan; a set of 32 specific Recommendations; and a message to next
year's meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity. A number
of initiatives were announced, pledging funding, political support
and technical input to improve the management of this 100,000
sites-strong estate. "The Durban Accord sets a new vision
- one that is clear, and one that is feasible for the world to
implement. But more than that, it has created the energy and will
to take this agenda for the next decade and put it to work,"
commented David Sheppard, Secretary General of the V th IUCN World
Parks Congress. Responding to its theme "Benefits Beyond
Boundaries", the Congress addressed pressing problems within
protected areas by identifying new sites for under-protected ecosystems,
defining tools to improve management effectiveness, finding new
legal arrangements, and bringing new constituencies on board.
Specifically, delegates put forward guidance to engage governments,
the private sector, indigenous peoples, local communities, and
youth in protected areas, to jointly safeguard the many benefits
these areas provide to societies worldwide. "The discussions
here were as rich as many of our National Parks. For South Africa,
this is a very successful conference. It has translated many issues,
such as sustainable livelihoods, sharing of benefits and the role
of the private sector, that came out of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, into concrete goals and actions for the management
of parks and reserves," says the South African Minister of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism Hon. Mohammed Valli Moosa. The
outputs of the Congress empower protected area managers and policy
makers around the world. With the Durban Accord and the Recommendations
in hand, they can start a process with their governments, institutions
and organizations to make the vision set in Durban - of protected
areas as a common tool for biodiversity protection and poverty
alleviation - a reality. At the same time, the Congress generated
the political support to transform the outputs into action. A
host of new protected areas were announced in countries such as
Madagascar, Senegal, and Brazil, covering well over 200,000 sq
km. To top this, an excess of US$ 35 million was pledged for conservation
both on land and sea. As well as having a full-day focus on Africa's
issues, the Congress launched the Africa Protected Areas Initiative,
a major programme to develop a well-designed and managed system
of protected areas that will meet the environmental and social
needs of the continent. Durban offered participants a unique opportunity
to exchange experiences, learn from each other, and establish
a common agenda. Discussions in the more than 200 sessions varied
from unequivocal support for Recommendations on the establishment
of protected areas on the high seas, to passionate debates between
representatives of the extractive industries, conservationists
and indigenous peoples. "It is this platform for discussion
and engagement that the Congress was meant to be. In that sense,
it has achieved more than we had hoped for," Steiner added.
The Congress unfolded in South Africa just one year after the
World Summit on Sustainable Development, seven months before the
next Conference of the Parties to the CBD in Malaysia, and thirteen
months before the 3 rd IUCN World Conservation Congress in Thailand.
These events will be the pillars of the bridge set out by the
Congress outputs, as protected areas will feature prominently
at these forthcoming fora. "Nations the world over have adhered
to the overarching agenda set in Caracas, Venezuela, at the previous
World Parks Congress, and many targets set then have been attained
and surpassed. The fact that more than 10% of the globe's surface
is protected illustrates the commitment carried forward by such
events. Today's agenda recognises the benefits and ensures that
they are equitably shared. In 2013 we will be able to look back
and hopefully be proud of our new achievements," says Dr.
Kenton Miller, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected
Areas. For more information visit the website at http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wpc2003/pdfs/newsevents/day10/finalwpcpr170903.pdfhe
LAKES, WETLANDS THREATENED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change poses a serious threat to the world's lakes and
wetlands, according to a new study. Experts from the Tyndall Center
for Climate Change believe the world's lakes will experience temperature
increases of up to 5.7 Celsius by 2080, threatening water levels
and countless species. Press release from Global Nature Fund,
19 September 2003, Links to further information http://www.globalnature.org/bausteine/bausteine/link.asp?id=18838&domid=1011&aktion=
PROJECTS TARGET YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND DESERTIFICATION IN FOUR
COUNTRIES
Youth in Niger, Argentina, China and Mozambique will soon be involved
in reforestation and other efforts to combat desertification in
their countries. "Youth Corps for the Rehabilitation of Degraded
Lands and the Environment in Niger" is a three-year project
launched by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government
of Niger. Through it, youth will be trained to undertake anti-erosion
measures, create tree nurseries, protect riverbanks, clean organic
waste and keep bees. The activities will be defined jointly by
the youth themselves, several ministries in the government of
Niger, non-governmental organizations, rural communities, community-based
organizations, the private sector and the two international UN
organizations. The US$450,000 project is funded with contributions
from the governments of Italy and Venezuela. The Italian Government
and the UNCCD Secretariat signed the agreement to implement three
reforestation pilot projects in Argentina, China and Mozambique.
UNDP will also be the implementing agency for these projects,
which will target youth job creation and seek to strengthen synergies
between the Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification.
All three projects will seek to rehabilitate degraded land, create
income-generating activities, reduce carbon dioxide emissions
and restore and protect biodiversity. At the same time, they will
aim to raise awareness and strengthen the role of youth and civil
society organizations in the promotion of sustainable development
in these fragile ecosystems. Links to further information UNCCD
website and contact http://www.unccd.int
and ckwon@unccd.int
CARACAL
Caracal is an NGO in the Chobe District with programmes in the
following areas: Human Wildlife Conflict in Northern Botswana;
Wetlands Conservation Project: Chobe Linyanti Kuando System; Effects
of Humans on wildlife health and population dynamics; Predator
Ecology and conflict with communities; Transboundary Management
of Migratory Ungulates. The projects are reviewed on the website
with the exception of the wetlands programme which should be complete
soon. The website www.caracal.info
is still being worked on but can already be visited for more information.
IMPACTS OF HIV/AIDS ON CONSERVATION
The Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG) has been working
on the impacts of HIV/AIDS on conservation, including human capacity,
and impacts on land and resource use. They have also been investigating
coping strategies and best practices to reduce impacts. Workshop
Report on a meeting held in Nairobi in 2002 is available here.
WWF is now going to work further on this issue, and the ABCG is
planning to highlight this grave problem at the World Parks Congress.
For more information you can also visit the website at www.bsponline.org
or www.worldwildlife.org
(Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group)
LOCAL TOURISM REAPS FROM ZIM CRISIS
Botswana tourism is doing well despite the Zimbabwean crisis and
the campaign by Survival International. Instead Botswana has reaped
from the economic and political problems bedevilling Zimbabwe.
Mr Tema, from the Department of Tourism also revealed that there
has been an increase in citizen owned tourism companies, which
now stand at 178 with 116 joint-ventures.
(Mmegi, 5-11 September 2003, pg. 5)
CROSS-BORDER TOURISM TAKES OFF
Namibia is taking the lead in mobilising northern neighbours Botswana,
Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe to form a joint venture tourism initiative.
Briefing the media on the development objectives of the Okavango
Upper Zambezi International Tourism Initiative in Windhoek, Environment
Permanent Secretary Malan Lindeque said the plan is an ideal opportunity
for the five countries to take advantage of the region's extensive
network of wildlife and natural resources. He believes that if
consensus can be reached on harmonising tourism management, the
area could become one of the world's premier eco, cultural and
adventure tourism destination. A major objective if the plan is
to improve on regional co-operation and integration on issues
such as biodiversity, conservation, tourism and trade as well
as development planning in other areas. The initiative stems from
proposal to the Development Bank of Southern Africa several years
ago on establishing a major trans-frontier wildlife sanctuary
in the wetlands of the Okavango and Zambezi River basin. The broader
concept was endorsed by SADC Tourism Ministers in 2001. Finally
Lindeque said it made sense for the five countries to reach consensus
on the management of shared resources such as water, as well as
wildlife parks, which in many cases were separated only by border
fences but managed differently.
(Mmegi, 25-31 July 2003, pg. B5)
NUJOMA URGES AFRICAN SELF-RELIANCE
Mbkei and Nujoma signed a pact on the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier
Park. South Africa has established similar ties with Botswana,
Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and agreements for three Transfrontier
parks have been signed. Nujoma said cross-border agreements of
this kind encourage the elimination of artificial borders in the
region. The park spans 6045 square km with the largest portion
(about 70%) in Namibia. It incorporates the Ai-Ais Hot Springs
Game Park and the Richtersveld national Park. The long-term ideal
is to link the park with the Namib desert and the Iona National
Park in Angola for which a Memorandum of Understanding was also
signed. The park will be important for the creation of empowerment
opportunities on both sides of the border.
(The Botswana Gazette, August 6th 2003, pg.13) More information
on the Iona National Park also in the Mmegi dated 8-14 August
2003.
USA LINKED TO THE THEFT OF BOTSWANA HERBS
The Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Wildlife is investigating
the apparent plunder of the highly sought Hoodia plant, in Molepolole.
The Executive Secretary of the NCSA has confirmed that the case
has been passed on to ARB (Agricultural Resources Board) to investigate,
as they have a law that protects indigenous plants. Hoodia or
'motlhoka-tshwaro' as is known in Setswana, is traditionally used
by Basarwa to ward off hunger on their long hunting trips. It
is this knowledge that the South African government through its
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) used to
patent the active compound of the plant. The CSIR recognises Basarwa
as originators of the traditional knowledge and signed an agreement
with South Africa's San community. Botswana Technology Centre
deputy communications manager, Kebadire Basako, was thrown off-guard
when he learnt of the over-harvesting of the Hoodia in Molepolole.
He said BOTEC has just recently developed an "interest"
in biologic research. He felt an urgent step should be made to
assemble a team of experts, preferably form the National Food
Technology Research Centre (NAFTRC), BOTEC, the Patent Unit of
the Registrar of Companies and other organs of the civic community
including environmental NGO's, to study the patent on Hoodia.
Nevertheless, as things stand, caution has certainly been thrown
in the winds.
(The Botswana Guardian, September 5th 2003, pg.3)
WORLD BANK LAUNCHES GLOBAL FUND FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
A Global Fund for Indigenous Peoples, designed to enhance the
participation of indigenous peoples' in development decisions
that affect their lives, has been initiated by the World Bank.
Launched on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
(8 August), the Fund will provide financial support for a Grant
Facility that will provide small grants directly to Indigenous
Peoples Organizations for development related activities; a capacity
building programme for Indigenous Peoples leaders in the Andean
region; and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The outcome
of a series of dialogues with Indigenous Peoples leaders from
around the world, the Fund seeks to increase the participation
of Indigenous Peoples in policy formulation and in the design
and implementation of projects in their respective communities
and countries. It also aims to help Indigenous Peoples Organizations
in their ability to engage government agencies in their policy
reform dialogue. Links to further information: World Bank press
release, 8 August 2003 Http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20123218~menuPK:34463~pagePK:64003015~piPK:64003012~theSitePK:4607,00.html
World Bank Indigenous Peoples website http://www.worldbank.org/indigenous
(Linkages Update - Earth Negotiations Bulletin, August 23rd 2003)
NATIONAL RECOVERY PLANS BRING HOPE FOR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Australia's Minister of Environment David Kemp recently announced
a national recovery plan to increase protection for Australia's
marine turtles. Noting that the number of marine turtles nesting
on Australian shores have declined dramatically in the past 25
years, Kemp said the national recovery plan is designed to reverse
the decline "as a matter of urgency" to restore turtle
populations over the next few decades. The plan identifies five
different habitat types that marine turtles use at different stages
of their lives and the main threats caused by humans who share
these habitats. Actions in the plan aim to reduce the impact of
these threats and to increase marine turtle survival rates, particularly
of adults and large immature turtles that are to become part of
the breeding population.
Meanwhile on another continent, Zambia has formulated its national
policy on rhinoceros management and rehabilitation. With the assistance
of conservation experts and wildlife managers from the 14 member
countries of the Southern Africa Development Community, the Zambia
Wildlife Authority finalized the policy document, which aims to
reverse the current destructive trends and promote rhinos' conservation.
Development of this policy would see the reintroduction of the
black rhino, which has been poached to extinction in Zambia. Links
to further information: Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia
http://www.ea.gov.au/coasts/species/turtles/recovery/index.html
Environmental news service, 29 July 2003
http://ens-news.com/ens/jul2003/2003-07-29-02.asp
(Linkages Update - Earth Negotiations Bulletin, August 23rd 2003)
DEATH OF LAKE NGAMI
It is now more than 20 years since Lake Ngami lost its cool breeze
and its natural and magnetic water force that used to attract
all types of species. Lake Ngami is no more. About 80 Km south
of Maun at Sehitwa, on the western base of the Okavango Delta,
is a dry pan where the lake used to be. Before human interference,
Lake Ngami used to get its water from the Okavango River. During
the Pleistocene epoch, the lake covered an extensive area. Since
the late 1880's, when papyrus growth blocked the mouth of its
main tributary, the lake shrunk in size. South African Journal
of Science says: "Documentary evidence has additionally been
used to identify that the flow of water in Thaoge River system,
one of the key inflows to Lake Ngami, ceased in late 1879 to 1880,
shortly before the desiccation of the lake in 1881". According
to the residents of Sehitwa though, the lake dried for a very
long time in the early 1960s and when lest expected it filled
up again only to dry up once more. There are different arguments
on why the lake dried up, several of these turn towards mankind
developments upstream.
(Kutlwano, June Vol. 41, Issue 6, pg. 4)
PROMOTING COMMON PROPERTY IN AFRICA: NETWORKS FOR INFLUENCING
POLICY AND GOVERNANCE OF NATURAL RESOURCES (CO-GOVERN)
Common property resources (CPRs) remain of great significance
for many rural people throughout sub-Saharan Africa, providing
grazing for livestock, timber and wood fuel, thatching, honey,
fruits and other products for domestic use and sales. CPRs are
of particular significance to the livelihoods of poorer people,
for whom opportunities to earn off-farm incomes are often severely
limited.
Many African governments pass new legislation to devolve certain
responsibilities for management of natural resources to a range
of local level structures (village body, district council, wildlife
conservancy group), but there is resistance to transferring full
management rights to the communities that depend on the resources.
The same governments do not formally recognise the 'local community'
as a legal entity with management powers and capacities. Yet,
at the same time, there is increasing encroachment on such CPRs,
with the growing risk of their disappearance, or their privatisation
by those with power and influence.
Given the critical role of common property resources for rural
livelihoods and biodiversity, it is essential to promote debate
on the institutional options that offer the best prospects for
sustainable and equitable management of these resources, for wider
social and environmental benefits. This requires a better understanding
of the changing status and availability of CPRs, the range of
institutions for managing CPRs, their experience and how they
operate in different settings, as well as their effectiveness
in achieving sustainability, equity and productivity goals.
A considerable body of research exists on local CPR management
systems, from which to develop a set of policy options for decision-makers
to consider. The synthesis of such research findings will identify
the opportunities presented by different institutional and legal
approaches to CPR management. In particular, paying attention
to customary institutions and knowledge, as an important basis
for making policy choices is important. Since CPR regimes can
also generate significant transaction costs (due to the time required
for negotiating access rights, monitoring, and policing the rules),
there is a need to demonstrate potential benefits from shared
management and ensuring multiple user access.
The Co-Govern project commenced in 2002 and runs until June 2005.
Papers, case studies and policy briefs arising from this project
will be published and hosted on partner websites.
The Expected Outcomes are that building on a combination of recent
research advances in the field of CPR management, this program
will strengthen networks of African researchers and land professionals,
to promote exchange of experience, dialogue and analysis, and
identify ways of ensuring that local practice better informs legal
reforms and policies regarding CPRs.
For more information on the project please contact : Munyaradzi
Saruchera, e-mail: msaruchera@uwc.ac.za
tel. +27-21-959 3733. (Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies
(PLAAS), School of Government, University of the Western Cape,
Cape Town, South Africa) or visit the website at http://www.uwc.ac.za/plaas/co-govern/
(PLAAS)
NACOBTA BOOKING AND INFORMATION OFFICE - MEET THE PEOPLE OF
NAMIBIA
This completely new and innovative initiative from NACOBTA has
started its operation in July 2002! The main aim of the booking
office is to give an extra boost to community based enterprises
that have reached a standard level of quality. More enterprises
that reach that standard level will be linked to the booking office
continually.
The booking office is now still supported by funding from TCF,
the Tourism Challenge Fund from Dfid. However, in a few years
time, the booking office will be able to sustain itself, thanks
to all support from community tourism bookings, private sector
and government.
What does the booking office do? The NACOBTA booking and information
office focuses on bookings for Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Enterprises
and community friendly enterprises. These enterprises are located
at the most beautiful and unique spots throughout the country
and include campsites, tented camps, guiding services, traditional
villages, museums, hotels and lodges. Taste the traditions and
the atmosphere that surrounds Namibian lives and give a personal
touch to your Namibia experience!
Booking all your trips - to private & community enterprises
- through the Nacobta Booking Office makes community tourism sustainable.,
use NACOBTA booking and information office. For more information
you can contact NACOBTA at nacobta@iafrica.com.na
or NACOBTA Booking Co-ordinator Namibia Crafts Centre, 40 Talstreet
P.O.Box: 40504, Windhoek, Namibia Tel: +264 61 255977, Fax: +264
61 255957 or visit the website at www.nacobta.com.na
4TH NATIONAL CBNRM FORUM
The Fourth National CBNRM Forum meeting was held on the 12th of
June 2003, at the President Hotel in Gaborone. The meeting was
an opportunity to discuss relevant CBNRM issues and follow-up
on recommendations of previous Conferences, Forums, Steering Committee
meetings and other CBNRM related events. Some of the items on
the agenda included: discussions on the problems around community
management of CBNRM funds towards possible solutions, as well
as presentations of the EU funded Wildlife Conservation and Management
Programme (2002-2006) - Community Development Fund (CDF) and the
Community Based Strategy (RDCD). 38 participants representing
all stakeholder groups (CBO's, NGO's, Government departments and
the Private sector) as well as 23 observers attended this years
Forum. For more information you can read the Proceedings
or contact the National CBNRM Forum Secretariat at Cathrine@iucnbot.bw.
(National CBNRM Forum Secretariat, June 2003)
NATIONAL CBNRM REVIEW
On June 3rd the Inception Report for the National Review on CBNRM
in Botswana was presented to the RRC for discussion and approved.
The approval of the report led to the start of the consultation
process. The process will include in-depth case studies at community
level in Sankuyo, Khwai, Kgetsi ya tsie and KD1 (Ukhwi, Ngwatle
and Ncaang) with the intention to draw lessons from the CBNRM
implementation so far. The same reasoning applies to taking a
closer look at the roles played by BOCOBONET and NGOs such as
the Kalahari Conservation Society and Thusano Lefatsheng. Also
2 private sector companies (Rann Safaris and HCH) will be studied
more closely to understand their roles in joint venture agreements
with communities (CECT and STMT).
The consultants will present and discuss an issues and options
report to 3 stakeholder workshops in Kgalagadi, Ngamiland and
Central districts (tentatively in August). A draft report will
be presented to the National CBNRM Forum (tentatively September).
The review is expected to be completed not later than the 1st
of October 2003. The final report will be translated into a "popular
version" for wide distribution over all stakeholders in and
beyond Botswana as part of the CBNRM Support Programme Occasional
Paper Series (#15). For more information you can read the Inception Report
or visit the CBNRM website at www.cbnrm.bw.
(National CBNRM Forum/Review Secretariat, June 2003)
WORLD PARKS CONGRESS TO INCLUDE A WCS/IUCN-VSG & SASUSG/PACE-IBAR/OIE-SPONSORED
FORUM
Southern and East African Experts Panel on Designing Successful
Conservation and Development Interventions at the Wildlife/Livestock
Interface: Implications for Wildlife, Livestock, and Human Health.
A two-day interactive forum at which approximately 55 invited
Southern and East African and other experts share their vision
for conservation and development success at the wildlife / livestock
interface with World Parks Congress attendees and invited representatives
from bilateral and multilateral development agencies and other
interested parties. Please note that due to limited space and
funding and the group size limitation imposed by the interactive
nature of the forum, participants have already been invited and
confirmed. Veterinary Specialist Group (VSG) members and other
interested parties who are not attending are encouraged to send
their thoughts and ideas on the themes described below to VSG
Co-Chairs William Karesh and Richard Kock and the Regional Chair
Jacob Mwanzia, or to Steve Osofsky, WCS Senior Policy Advisor
for Wildlife Health, at the Wildlife Conservation Society: sosofsky@wcs.org.
The purpose of the Forum is to foster a sharing of ideas among
African practitioners and development professionals that will
lead to concrete and creative initiatives that address conservation
and development challenges related to health at the livestock/wildlife/human
interface. The focus of presentations will be ongoing efforts
and future needs in and around the region's flagship protected
areas and conservancies and their buffer zones- the places where
tensions and challenges at the livestock/wildlife interface are
often greatest. IUCN Veterinary Specialist Group (VSG) members
are playing a key role in helping to lay the scientific foundation
for an international animal health and natural resources management
initiative that a growing consortium of organizations plans to
launch within the context of the upcoming (September '03) IUCN
World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa. The initiative is
called AHEAD- Animal Health for the Environment And Development.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), IUCN VSG, and other partners
are helping to start AHEAD in recognition of the importance of
animal health to both conservation and development interests.
Around the world, domestic and wild animals are coming into ever-more-intimate
contact as we all of course know, and (without adequate scientific
knowledge and planning) the consequences can be detrimental on
one or both sides of the proverbial fence. But armed with the
tools that the health sciences provide, conservation and development
objectives have a much greater chance of being realized- particularly
at the critical wildlife / livestock interface where conservation
and agricultural interests meet head-on. We hope to catalyze work
focused on several themes of critical importance to the future
of animal agriculture, wildlife health, and human health (including
zoonoses, competition over grazing and water resources, disease
mitigation, local and global food security, and other potential
sources of conflict related to overall land-use planning and economics).
To date, neither the nongovernmental organizations nor the aid
community nor academia have holistically addressed the landscape-level
nexus represented by the wildlife health / domestic animal health
/ human health triangle.
The IUCN World Parks Congress is a very high profile event both
wherever it is held and in the international media. The Congress
is only held once every 10 years, and will likely bring approximately
3,000 international attendees to Durban overall.
Organizations potentially interested in co-sponsoring the AHEAD
forum should contact Steve Osofsky at sosofsky@wcs.org
(by WCS, June 2003)
ELEPHANTS THREATEN LIVES, ENVIRONMENT
The Botswana elephant population is growing by more than five
percent every year, overwhelming the environment and threatening
human life. A conservation science consultant Collin Craig who
has been engaged by government to draw an elephant management
plan for Botswana, says since 1987 the elephant population has
been growing by more than five percent per year. He said elephants
were responsible for human deaths, crop raiding and damage to
property. "They also reduce biodiversity, cause soil erosion
and there is a change in vegetation structure," he said.
Craig was making a presentation during the KCS annual general
meeting last week in Gaborone. He came up with a number of options
addressing the elephant population explosion in the Country. Craig
suggested an increase in the number of elephants given to the
communities. For the past ten years some communities have been
given a quota to utilise. Last year only 12 of the 123000 elephants
in the country were divided among 40 community trusts. Every year
the department of wildlife gives a certain number of unprotected
animals to the community trusts for utilisation. He said this
would encourage the sustainable use of elephants and improve returns
from the consumptive utilisation. Some of the options include
elimination by translocation or culling. KCS chairman Louis Nchindo
says "The elephant debate will always be a challenge to us
as conservationists and we have to be courageous and steadfast
to champion sustainable utilisation of the environment at the
same time preserving it for future generations. He notes that
the advent of Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM)
has provided society with the opportunity to create chances for
community benefit from natural resources and explains that it
is an advantage to their conservation efforts.
(The Botswana Guardian, June 27 2003, pg. 17)
NEW BOOK ON "ANIMAL HEALTH MATTERS"
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has just completed a general
guide called "Animal Health Matters: Improving the Health
of Wild and Domestic Animals to Enhance Long-Term Development
Success in USAID-Assisted Countries." This document was prepared
with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development,
and may be of general interest to agencies and individuals working
in developing countries. The guide's purpose is to raise awareness,
in largely non-technical terms, regarding the critical role animal
health plays in national economies and family livelihoods, in
conservation as well as development. The document emphasizes a
"one health" perspective, and includes an Executive
Synopsis as well as sections such as "Selected Examples of
Animal Health Issues of Importance in North America," "Applying
the Lessons Learned at Home to Foreign Assistance Programs,"
as well as a basic "Checklist for Mitigating Wildlife Health
Impacts in USAID-Assisted Projects." Additional literature
references as well as a range of web resources are also provided.
To view the document, please go to www.fieldvet.org
. An HTML version is viewable online, and a pdf version (92 pp
and ~3MB) is also downloadable. We hope the materials are useful
to the conservation and development communities.
(The WCS Field Veterinary Program, June 2003)
SANProTA GETS A NEW NAME
PhytoTrade Africa, The Southern African Natural Products Trade
Association
On 1st June 2003, SANProTA (the Southern African Natural Products
Trade Association), will officially become known by its new name:
PhytoTrade Africa. In conjunction with the name-change, we'll
be launching an entirely new corporate image - new logo, new colour-scheme,
new fonts, new persona. There'll be other changes, too; more subtle,
perhaps, but important nonetheless. Out will go our historical
affinity towards supply-driven, NGO-type development approaches,
replete with tongue-twisting acronyms, woolly notions about target
groups and protectionism, and well-meaning, but ineffective, management
strategies; in will come a new, demand-driven approach to business
development, service provision, and market penetration, aimed
at giving you, our members, exactly what you want, when you want
it.
What was wrong with the old name?
'SANProTA' is an acronym. It doesn't mean anything in itself;
it only takes on meaning if you spell it out. And, there being
six different words (and sixteen syllables!) to spell out, this
takes time. On its own, that might not be a problem. But now factor
in the images that the word 'SANProTA' conjures up, and you can
see where the problem arises. SANProTA has been described, variously,
as evocative of a health remedy, a toilet cleaner, a cure for
incontinence and a technical assistance scheme for disadvantaged
people. None of which really puts us in the category to which
we aspire! More importantly, though, 'SANProTA' was inconsistent
with the image we want to portray. If we want to be taken seriously,
in the cut-and-thrust world of the natural products industry,
we have to look and sound the part. Acronyms like 'SANProTA' may
suit the world into which we were born, but they don't suit the
world in which we're growing up. Equally, we have to act the part.
If we don't look and sound the part, acting it is nigh on impossible.
And it's not just about getting taken seriously by others. It's
about taking ourselves seriously. Think serious, act serious,
be serious.
Is a change desirable?
It takes a certain amount of courage to change your name. We're
all given a name at birth, whether we're an individual or an institution.
Before we can talk for ourselves, others begin calling us by that
name, and soon it becomes entrenched. When, eventually, we come
of age, either the name suits us, or it doesn't. If it doesn't,
though, what then? The fear is that, if we change our name, no-one
will know who we are any more. It's a legitimate fear, too. When
we first launched our web-site, for example (in April 2002), we
received a little over 100 hits a month. Now (May 2003) we receive
nearly 4000 hits a month. People know us. If we change our name,
will we have to start again? Maybe we will. But we don't think
so. We're judged by what we do, not what we say, and on that score,
it seems more likely that people will be grateful, finally, to
have an intelligible and (reasonably!) pithy name to match to
our achievements. On balance, then, the pros of changing our name
considerably outweigh the cons. And once the decision has been
made, the sooner it is implemented, the better.
What does the new name mean?
The ideal name for an institution is one that describes, simply,
what it does, one that evokes positive images, and one that is
not easily forgotten. PhytoTrade Africa meets all of these criteria.
'Phyto' comes from the Greek word for 'plant' - the Greek equivalent
of 'flora'. Literally, therefore, our new name implies that we
trade in African plants. Which, in fact, we do. But there is more
to it. Within our key markets, the term 'phyto' has a certain
resonance, similar to the one that 'natural' once had (but has
since lost through over-use). 'Phyto - medicines', 'phyto - pharmaceuticals'
and 'phyto - nutrients', for example, are all terms familiar to
the natural products industry, and imply that these products are
natural, wholesome and, of course, plant-derived.
What next?
We're still the Southern African Natural Products Trade Association;
this is our legal identity and cannot be changed. But from now
on, we will refer to ourselves, and be referred to by others,
as PhytoTrade Africa.
So, now you know our new name, and the rationale behind it, take
a look at our new corporate image, as displayed on our new web-site
- www.phytotradeafrica.com.
(by PhytoTrade Africa, June 2003)
COOPERATION OVERTURES FROM ANGOLA
The visit to Botswana by Dos Santos was an opportunity to pave
the way forward for bi-lateral cooperation. The two countries
had longstanding collaboration in the management of the Okavango
River, which rises in Angola and feeds a large ecological system
in Botswana and the Okavango Delta, key to the tourist industry,
which is considered a major engine of growth for the Botswana
economy. Only last month the ministers met in Maun to exchange
views on how the countries can collectively continue harnessing
the waters of the Okavango River for economic growth on an environmental
sound and sustainable basis, Mogae said. While Angola was more
occupied with its peace process, there was acrimonious debate
between Namibia, the third Okavango Riparian country, and Botswana
over the use of water from the river.
(Mmegi, 06-12 June 2003, pg. 8)
LAND ROVER SPONSORS BIRD LIFE WEBSITE
Land Rover Gaborone is sponsoring the Birdlife Botswana website
at www.birdlifebotswana.orci.bw.
Birdlife Botswana promotes bird conservation, eco-tourism and
environmental education in Botswana. The sponsorship will last
for three years.
(Mmegi, 27 June - 3 July 2003, pg. B9)
NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2004 STOCKHOLM WATER PRIZE
Agency: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Nominations for the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize - which can be
presented for excellence in water action, water awareness building,
water management or water science - are now being sought and will
be accepted until September 30, 2003. Eligibility for the
$150,000 Stockholm Water Prize is open to individuals, institutions,
organisations and companies for outstanding achievements that
increase knowledge of water, raise understanding of the many faceted
aspects of this precious resource, and protect its usability and
availability for all life. Previous Prize Laureates have represented
many water-related disciplines - including academia, education
and research, development aid, engineering and law - and have
come from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain,
India, Israel, Japan, South Africa, Switzerland, the United States
and Venezuela. For more information, or to download a nominating
brochure, visit www.siwi.org.
NOMINATIONS FOR THE EQUATOR PRIZE 2004
Agency: The Equator Initiative
The Equator Prize is a prestigious international award recognizing
outstanding local achievement in combining poverty reduction with
biodiversity conservation. The Prize is open to grassroots initiatives
within the equatorial belt - site of the world's richest biodiversity
and home to many of its poorest people. The six awardees will
each receive a trophy, a cheque for US$30,000 - and the global
recognition they deserve. The countdown to the Equator Prize 2004
began on World Environment Day (5 June 2003) with the official
Call for Nominations. The closing date for nominations is 5
October 2003. It is hoped that not a single outstanding initiative
will escape the attention of the Equator Prize Jury. So if you
know of a great community project in a developing country within
the equatorial belt, please be sure to get it nominated! Please
visit the Equator Initiative website (www.EquatorInitiative.org)
for a complete list of eligibility criteria, and for full instructions
on how to make a nomination. The sooner nominations are made the
better, since those received prior to 25 July will receive initial
feedback, if requested, that may strengthen submissions before
being passed to the Jury. Nominees should demonstrate evidence
of the following qualities: impact; partnerships; sustainability;
innovation and transferability; leadership and community empowerment;
gender equality and social inclusion. The Equator Prize Award
Ceremony will take place in early 2004 at the Seventh Conference
of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Malaysia:
a key date in the international calendar and a truly global platform
from which the 25 finalists will be able to share the benefits
of their experience. Contact details
Nominations may be submitted online, by e-mail, post or fax no
later than the October 5, 2003 deadline to: Equator Initiative,
UNDP 405 Lexington Avenue, 4th Floor New York, NY 10174 USA, Tel:
+1.212.457.1709, Fax: +1.212.457.1370 EquatorInitiative@undp.org
ANNOUNCEMENT
On 1 July 2003, DITSHWANELO launched its website. Please log
on to: www.ditshwanelo.org.bw
(DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, June 2003)
NATIONAL REVIEW OF CBNRM IN BOTSWANA 2003
The stakeholders, including the Government of Botswana, involved
in Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) in Botswana
have agreed to undertake a national review of CBNRM in Botswana.
The goal of the exercise is to reflect on the progress made so
far, the problems encountered and to find a way forward to improve
on the design and implementation of the approach. DFID and the
CBNRM Support Programme will finance the exercise while the funds
will be managed by IUCN Botswana. A Review Reference Committee,
chaired by DWNP will guide the review.
Eighteen (18) companies responded to the consultancy announcement.
An initial short-listing of 6 companies was done on the 26th of
February while the final selection was made during the Review
Reference Committee (RRC) meeting of the 19th of March 2003.
The Centre of Applied Research with a team including Jaap Arntzen,
Ketsile Molokomme, Onkemetse Tshosa, Nkobi Moleele, David Mazambani
and Beth Terry will start with the Review as from the 1st of May.
The next step for the consultant will be drafting the Inception
Report (end of May) after which the consultation process starts.
The process will include in-depth case studies at community level
in Sankuyo, Khwai, Kgetsi ya tsie and KD1 (Ukhwi, Ngwatle and
Ncaang) with the intention to draw lessons from the CBNRM implementation
so far. The same reasoning applies to taking a closer look at
the roles played by BOCOBONET and NGOs such as the Kalahari Conservation
Society and Thusano Lefatsheng. Also 2 private sector companies
(Rann Safaris and HCH) will be studied more closely to understand
their roles in joint venture agreements with communities (CECT
and STMT).
The consultants will present and discuss an issues and options
report to 3 stakeholder workshops in Kgalagadi, Ngamiland and
Central districts (probably in July). A draft report will be presented
to the National CBNRM Forum (probably August/September). The review
is expected to be completed not later than the 1st of October
2003. The final report will be translated into a "popular
version" for wide distribution over all stakeholders in and
beyond Botswana as part of the CBNRM Support Programme Occasional
Paper Series (#15).
The timing of the review comes at an opportune moment. The Review
Reference Committee (RRC) was informed that the Ministries of
Environment as well as Local Government have agreed to "restart"
the district consultation process on the draft CBNRM Policy. This
"restart" was prompted by questions asked in Parliament
recently regarding the delay of the finalisation of the Policy.
It is planned that both the consultation process and the national
review will result into an updated and improved CBNRM Policy to
be presented to Parliament towards the end of the year.
For up-dated information please visit the Botswana CBNRM website
at http://www.cbnrm.bw.
(CBNRM Support Programme, April the 9th 2003)
NEW TRANSBOUNDARY INITIATIVE LAUNCHED IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
Harare, Zimbabwe, 7 May 2003 (IUCN) - The Zimbabwe-Mozambique-Zambia
(ZIMOZA) transboundary natural resources management initiative,
the first of its kind in Southern Africa, will officially be launched
today in Luangwa, Zambia. Cooperation through the ZIMOZA project
will secure the long term conservation of the environment and
the sustainable use of natural resources in the area. "IUCN
sowed the first seed for this transboundary initiative to grow,"
says David Sheppard, Head IUCN Programme on Protected Areas and
Secretary General of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress "in
the initial stages, IUCN mobilized stakeholders, reached consensus,
and then found the financial resources to implement the initiative
- the fertilizer to ensure the roots develop." IUCN has been
involved in the initiative since its inception in 1999 when the
Zimbabwe Deputy Minister of Mines, Environment and Tourism, Edward
Chindori Chininga asked IUCN to facilitate collaboration among
the border communities of the three countries. Working with local
communities, IUCN focused primarily on resolving conflicts in
the use of natural resources around the border, solving of transboundary
problems, and sharing experiences. The ZIMOZA initiative, sponsored
by USAID, is expected to help curb rampant poaching of wildlife
and cross-border trade in the region; reduce deforestation; and
reverse the poor state of infrastructure, particularly the roads.
It will also focus on conflict prevention and resolution; building
trust, confidence and security. Collaboration between the countries
should also lead to greater regional stability. This will be beneficial
to the establishment of the tourism industry, which will be a
step in the right direction for the realisation of the full economic
potential of the area. ZIMOZA stands to promote community-based
management of the environment and natural resources, and help
promote biological and cultural diversity in the area. The region
encompasses the biodiversity-rich African Rift Valley and spans
the Guruve District in Zimbabwe, the Luangwa District in Zambia,
and the Zumbo and Magoe Districts in Mozambique. Transboundary
cooperation is one of the leading themes of this year's Vth IUCN
World Parks Congress - the world's major forum on protected areas,
to be held in Durban, South Africa, from 8 to 17 September. It
is also the subject of one of IUCN's cutting-edge publications
in the Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines series. The guidelines
build on some fifteen years of work on transboundary issues by
IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas, a unique network of
1300 experts from 139 countries. For more information, contact:
Caroline Gwature, Information and Marketing Unit, tel: +263-4
728266/7 or email:<mailto:carolineg@iucnrosa.org.zw>
Xenya Cherny, IUCN Communications, tel: +41-22 9990127 or email:<mailto:xec@iucn.org; <http://www.iucn.org>
Created in 1948, IUCN - The World Conservation Union brings together
75 states, 108 government agencies, 750 plus NGOs, and some 10,000
scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide
partnership. IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist
societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity
of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable
and ecologically sustainable. IUCN is the world's largest environmental
knowledge network and has helped over 75 countries to prepare
and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies.
IUCN is a multi-cultural, multilingual organization with 1000
staff located in 62 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland,
Switzerland. The IUCN World Congress on Protected Areas, or IUCN
World Parks Congress as it has become known, is a 10 yearly event
which provides the major global forum for setting the agenda for
protected areas. Previous Congresses have had a tremendous impact
in assisting national governments to create new protected areas,
and direct more resources towards biodiversity conservation. The
Vth IUCN World Parks Congress will be held in Durban, South Africa,
from 8 to 17 September, 2003. Both Patrons of the Congress, former
South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mr Nelson
Mandela and Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan strongly endorse
the theme of the Congress, "Benefits Beyond Boundaries".
The Vth IUCN World Parks Congress is organised by <http://iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wpc/about/www.iucn.org>
IUCN - The World Conservation Union, its World Commission on Protected
Areas (WCPA), South African National Parks and the <http://www.gov.za/>
Government of South Africa.
CHEETAH CONSERVATION BOTSWANA - WHY CONSERVE CHEETAHS??
Cheetahs are unique animals. They are the most specialised of
all 37 species of cat and the world's fastest land mammal. Its
light, flexible skeleton, small head, specialised organs, claws
and tail are all designed for speed. It is also different from
many other big cats, in that it has a non aggressive, shy nature
and when challenged it will be the first to retreat. They have
been revered for centuries as symbols of nobility and grace and
have been kept for hunting by royalty for over 5000 years.
The cheetah is one of Africa's most endangered cats. Populations
are dramatically declining. The species is now threatened with
extinction due to loss of habitat and prey, a diminishing gene
pool and human persecution. Botswana contains one of the largest
remaining populations of free ranging cheetahs in the world. It
has been estimated at 1768 individuals (Funston et al 2001). This
represents 12% of the world's population, identifying Botswana
as one of the last strongholds of the species. However, populations
are not safe within protected areas as they are outcompeted by
stronger predators, such as lions and hyenas. Many cheetahs then
move out onto marginal land, where they come into conflict with
rural farming communities. Their survival is dependant on conservation
management of these areas.
Despite being listed as a species threatened with extinction by
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
and vulnerable by the IUCN, no formalised studies have been done
and little is known about the status of the cheetah in Botswana.
In order to create a management plan for the species to ensure
its survival into the future, we need to understand what is occurring
in our resident populations and how they are being affected by
the factors influencing them.
Cheetah Conservation Botswana: To address the above problem Cheetah
Conservation Botswana has been set up this year under the umbrella
of the Mokolodi Wildlife Foundation and in collaboration with
Kalahari Conservation Society and the Botswana Department of Wildlife
and National Parks. It aims to be a long term conservation project,
incorporating scientific research, practical species management
and community education. One of our main focuses is aiding the
farming community with predator management. In order to understand
the status of the species we are carrying out a comprehensive
survey of farms, game reserves, cattleposts, etc to see where
the cheetahs are and where they are causing problems. We have
prepared a questionnaire to gather information about predators
on farmlands. This will help us to understand the following:
1.Where the main populations of cheetah are occurring.
2.Which factors cause cheetahs or other predators to begin taking
livestock.
3.Which methods are successful in preventing cheetahs from taking
livestock.
The results of the survey will allow us to identify priority areas,
where we can focus education and information programmes on non
lethal methods of predator control, appropriate livestock management
and encourage farmers to coexist with cheetahs. While proximity
to farms does produce cheetah / livestock conflicts, it has been
demonstrated that with the maintenance of a suitable prey base,
increased awareness of the benefits of a healthy ecosystem and
the adoption of simple and appropriate livestock husbandry techniques,
this conflict can be minimized to the benefit of all. It has been
shown by the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, that when successfully
managed, predators and farming communities can utilise the same
areas with minimum of conflict. As part of our education campaign
we will promote several successful methods of non lethal predator
control, which can be utilized to prevent cheetah becoming problem
animals. Such as kraaling young livestock, keeping calving camps
near to homestead, keeping older experienced steers with horns
with the herd, keeping female donkeys with the herd, utilizing
guarding breeds of dogs, etc. As a last resort, we will relocate
problem animals to suitable release sites, where they will be
monitored by telemetry and information gathered on behaviour,
home ranges, diseases and genetic status. As a flagship species,
protection of the cheetah and awareness raising for the species
goes hand in hand with protecting the entire ecosystem. A viable
population of cheetah requires a suitable prey base and habitat.
Therefore, protection of the cheetah means protection for the
entire ecosystem.
If anyone reading this has a farm or knows of friends who do,
please consider calling us at 71759219 / 71464809 / 71656782 and
we will send you out a questionnaire. Alternatively, email us
at cheetah@mokolodi.com.
As well as this, please call us with your cheetah sightings and
any info you may have that may help us!
(Mokolodi, May 2003)
ANNOUNCEMENT
It is with great dismay to inform you about the tragic death of
Mr Desire Matirekwe. He was a staff member at ZERO Regional Environment
Organization in Zimbabwe since 1991 up until he met his death
on Sunday the 20th of April 2003. Desire was serving as the NAWISA
contact person at ZERO since NAWISA was launched. He is survived
by his wife, two sons and one daughter. His funeral took place
in Mutare on April 23rd 2003. May we all pay our last respect
to Desire by observing a moment of silence during the course of
tomorrow. May his soul rest in peace.
(Sindisiwe Ngcobo NAWISA Co-ordinator P.O.Box 13378 Mowbray 7705
Tel: +27 +21 448-2881, Fax: +27 +21 448-2922)
RESEARCHES - BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN LIVESTOCK KEEPING AND
OTHER NATURAL PRODUCTS
In supporting communities to improve their alternatives and the
quality of livelihood options it is important that these remain
sustainable. The natural resources found in Ngamiland (like most
of the Country) daily face the challenege of meeting peoples growing
survival demands which include food for livestock. In Ngamiland
(to a larger extent than most of the country) survival demands
on the envirionemnt include that of wildlife as well as that of
peoples and their domestioc aniumals. The key question that this
research will address is "given the current ecosystem and
people's current livelihoods practices, how much livestock can
be sustained now and in the future". This study will be carried
out in the three villages in Okavango sub-district - Qangwa, Habu
and Beetsha.
(ACORD Botswana, Newsletter March 2003)
THE MANY BENEFITS OF THE MORULA TREE
The people in Namibia like Batswana and people in South Africa,
have recognised the economic potential of the Morula tree fruit
and its by-products.
In Botswana a women's cooperative in the Tswapong area harvests
the Morula fruit when it is season to make jam and recently began
exploring the export of iol extracted from the fruit, for the
manufacture of natural cosmetics. In South Africa, the Amarula
liquor is becoming a brand name that has became very popular locally
abroad. Namibian people are also involved in the commercial production
and marketing of several products derived from the Morula fruit,
which include various cosmetic products, refreshments, wine and
cooking oil. Many of these products are available locally, while
others are being sold on the international market" said Nujoma
addressing the Omangongo Cultural Festival 2003. Omugongo fruit
is used to make a traditional wine (omagongo), juice (oshinwa)
and cooking oil (odjove). The by-products that remain after the
extraction of cooking oil and the manufacture of cosmetics are
used to make different types of soap. He also called on communities
to plant many indigenous trees so that they can provide the country
with fruit, shade and timber, as well as prevent desertification
which threatens many areas.
(The Botswana Gazette, May 7th 2003, pg. 16)
LIFELINE VOLUNTEERS PREPARE FOR TRANS-MAKGADIKGADI TREK
Botswana's spectacular Pans will be in the spotlight next month
when Dr Nomsa Mbere and a small group of volunteers will undertake
a 150Km journey across this unique wilderness area. The journey
has a two fold purpose: to raise awareness of the need to protect
the historically important and fragile environment of the Pans
and to raise funds for Lifeline Botswana. The journey will start
at Jack's Camp on June the 11th and will end at Sowa Town on June
15th.
(Mmegi, 23-29th May 2003, pg. Bokamoso6)
OKAVANGO RIVER BASIN MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP
The Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM)held a workshop
at the Maun Lodge. It was launched on the 7th and ended on the
9th of May and involved the water and environment ministers, permanent
secretaries and Senior officials of the three countries, Angola,
Botswana and Namibia, that share one common river, the Okavango
River. The workshop was an open discussion of interest and issues
concerning the Okavango River Basin. Min. Hon. Mokgothu, said
after a low flight over the delta "The Okavango belongs to
all of us and we must see to it that what ever we do in our individual
countries does not cause problems that threaten nature, the river
flows through Angola and Namibia and dams or alterations to the
flow of water might have some effect on the delta".
(Mmegi, 23-29th May 2003, pg. 26/31)
BOTSWANA DROUGHT STRICKEN
Government is to spent and estimated P282 million on drought relief
measures to be implemented between July 2003 and June 2004. Declaring
the country drought stricken, the President said the 2002/2003
rainfall season was generally deficient and only seven per cent
of the 300000 Ha available for arable farming had been ploughed
and planted. This season production level were expected to drop
to their lowest in more than 10 Years and only four percent of
the total national cereal requirement would be met locally. The
measures include the continuation of the labour intensive public
works programme and under five supplementary feeding programme
which would now include children up to six not yet in school while
remote area dweller children would be provided with a second meal.
(Daily News, May 12th, 2003, pg1)
ZIM COMMUNITIES WANT TO TAKE PARKS BACK
When Zimbabwe designated a 5000 Km2 stretch of southern savannah
as the Gonarezhou National Park in 1966, the new park boundaries
did more than protect the wildlife within the park, they locked
people out. With the creation of the park the government forcibly
relocated a number of traditional communities that had lived on
the land for generations. The conflict between park and people
is not unique to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has begun to reconsider parts
of its policy of keeping local communities out of the parks. In
1982, the government gave limited permission for locals to benefit
from sport hunting in wilderness areas outside the park when it
adopted the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous
Resources (CAMPFIRE). However, communities displaced decades ago
are now pushing for more than just sport hunting rights; they
want their land and resources back. "What we have learned
in the past 30 to 40 years is that communities outside parks must
be allowed to benefit from the environmental goods and services
those protected areas produce" said Dr Miller (Vice President
for Conservation at the World Resources Institute). "Only
then doe we see truly sustainable parks and viable communities
with proper human services such as education, health and transportation"
he continued. In Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe revenue generated
from hunting, eco-tourism and photo-safaris is invested into conservation
and the development of roads, bridges, schools and clinics. "As
a community we also need to set up big business ventures inside
Chobe National Park" said Luckson Masule, Chief of the Chobe
Enclave in Botswana. "Already there is a privately run lodge
in the Chobe National Park. We request that we be granted the
same opportunity. This is the way that our community can benefit
beyond the park boundaries".
(Mmegi, 30 May-5 June 2003, pg. 24)
ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR IUCN (SOUTHERN AFRICA)
IUCN is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr James Murombedzi
as the new Regional Director for its Regional Office for Southern
Africa with effect from June I 2003.
Dr Murombedzi joins the IUCN from the Ford Foundation where he
was Program Officer for Southern Africa (Environment and Development).
Dr Murombedzi was responsible for developing and implementing
the Foundation's initiative on securing land and resource rights
for marginalized constituencies in southern Africa
Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, Dr Murombedzi was faculty
in the Center for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) at the University
of Zimbabwe. He taught in the masters program in Tropical Resource
Ecology and carried out research on land reform and the macro
and micro-political dynamics of natural resources management in
southern Africa's communal tenure regimes.
Dr Murombedzi brings to IUCN more than 15 years of experience
as an academic, researcher, administrator and manager in the field
of environment and development. He has served on international
environment and natural resources management boards, including
the Conservation and Development Forum (CDF) and the International
Association for the Study of Common Property (IASCP), and has
also served as an advisor to the Biodiversity Support Program.
During the past decade he has been actively involved with the
IUCN and its work on many occasions - including most recently
as the Deputy Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environment, Economic
and Social Policy. Dr Murombedzi has written and published widely
on decentralization, land reform and natural resources management
in southern Africa.
The appointment of Dr Murombedzi follows the departure of Dr Yemi
Katerere in March who has since joined the Center for International
Forestry Research (CIFOR) as the Assistant Director General.
(IUCNROSA Press Release May 2003)
ARMED CONFLICT AND THE ENVIRONMENT - IUCN STATEMENT
Gland, Switzerland, 21 March 2003 (IUCN) - IUCN - The World Conservation
Union - has had many occasions in its 55 years of existence to
take public positions concerning military activity, conflict and
sustainable development. It does so again today because we find
ourselves confronted with events whose impact could undermine
sustainability long into the future. IUCN has followed with increasing
concern the armed conflict in Iraq. Along with individuals and
organizations worldwide, we seek to weigh the arguments on all
sides of the issue, to understand better what is at stake, and
to identify a contribution, however small, that IUCN might make
towards resolving the present predicament and averting the humanitarian
and environmental tragedy that would inevitably follow from war.
We feel that, with our commitment to a sustainable future for
humanity, we cannot sit silently on the sidelines. The international
community has many instruments that make reference to armed conflict
and the environment, including Protocol I Additional to the Geneva
Conventions which prohibits the use of methods or means of warfare
which are intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term
and severe damage to the natural environment. The Protocol also
requires that care be taken in warfare to protect the natural
environment against widespread, long-term and severe damage. This
protection includes a prohibition of the use of methods or means
of warfare which are intended or may be expected to cause such
damage to the natural environment and thereby to prejudice the
health or survival of the population. It also prohibits attacks
against the natural environment by way of reprisals. In addition
to the Protocol just mentioned, States - at the recently held
World Summit on Sustainable Development - reaffirmed their commitment
to the Rio Declaration, which recognizes that warfare is inherently
destructive of sustainable development. Principle 24 continues
that "States shall therefore respect international law providing
protection for the environment in times of armed conflict and
cooperate in its further development, as necessary." (See
Annex I for selected extracts of relevant international treaties
and instruments). IUCN has for decades been at the forefront of
the movement to protect environmental resources from damage in
times of conflict. It is the sponsor of numerous official texts
concerning the key role of conserving nature and managing natural
resources in furthering sustainable development. One of these
texts, the World Charter for Nature adopted by the United Nations
General Assembly, also addresses the environmental impact of armed
conflict. The IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, in cooperation
with the International Council for Environmental Law, has reviewed
existing international environmental law concerning the protection
of the environment, also in times of armed conflict. In the Draft
Covenant on Environment and Development of 1995 (updated in 2000),
the Commission included Draft Article 32 on 'Military and Hostile
Activities' I. Also see the Reference
Material to accompany IUCN Statement and for more information
visit the website at www.iucn.org.
ANOTHER CBNRM PROJECT BY KALAHARI CONSERVATION SOCIETY - MAPANDA
CONSERVATION TRUST
Lepokole Hills are situated approximately 30 km northeast of Bobonong,
in the Bobirwa Sub district. They are attractive scenery with
archaeological sites, rock paintings and appealing geographical
features with potential for tourist's attractions. The well-preserved
habitats, archaeological sites, scenic beauty and many interesting
features give Lepokole Hills an enormous potential to develop
into a tourist attraction. The tourism potential for the area
is further enhanced by the project's proximity to the Tuli Block
- a wildlife rich area further to the east. A number of tourists
already visit the area from the nearby town of Selebi-Phikwe.
The neighbouring community to these hills is Lepokole village.
Lepokole is a Remote Area Dweller Settlement (RAD) with an estimated
population of 500 - 700 people originally of Basarwa descent.
Like all RADs settlements, Lepokole is characterised by poor socio-economic
conditions and lack of employment and income generating opportunities
in the village, and therefore susceptible to high rural - urban
migration. The aim therefore is to engage in a Community Based
Natural Resource Management Project by way of managing the land
resources in and around Lepokole Hills for and on behalf the National
Museum and Art Gallery. Through carefully balancing tourism and
conservation, while emphasizing ecological sustainability and
restoring habitats, new economic opportunities would be created
and the quality of life of the local people improved. By not altering
the integrity of the ecosystem the historical diversity of life
would retain the attractiveness of the Lepokole community. Through
the facilitation of Kalahari Conservation Trust and the Bobirwa
Sub District Reference Group, a trust by the name Mapanda Conservation
Trust was developed and officially registered in January 2002.
In addition to that, Tourism Management and Business Plans have
been development (through the assistance of Landflow Consultants)
and approved. The Tourism Management and Development Plan advises
on the way in which tourism and tourism facilities could be developed
to benefit the community and better safeguard the wildlife, cultural,
historical and most importantly archaeological interests in the
hills, as well as to determine the viability of the intended tourism
project. Mapanda Conservation Trust is a new emerging CBNRM project
with potential.
(By KCS March 2003)
KCS - ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION OFFICER
Kalahari Conservation Society (KCS) has a new Environmental Education
Officer. His name is Mr. Herbert Kebafetotse. Herbert has been
attending a WWF ZEP Training of Trainers course in Environmental
Education which took place in Kabwe, Zambia from 1 - 31 March
2003.
SADC REGIONAL PROGRAMME FOR RHINO CONSERVATION MEETING OF RHINO
RANGE STATES AND CONSORTIUM OPENS IN MAUN, BOTSWANA
A SADC regional Programme for Rhino Conservation has began today
in Maun, Botswana, with the aim of updating stakeholders on progress
of the SADC rhino programme to date and activities in ranges states,
particularly reintroduction projects e.g. in Botswana and Zambia.
The three-day meeting also aims to review and identify regional
needs for rhino conservation, review proposals for new projects
within range states and across the region, and draft plans of
action for funding of projects by the programme for the next 12
months. There will be presentations from Range State Focal Points
who are based in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania
and Zambia. The presentations will touch on metapopulation management
of rhinos, ownership and allocation of rhinos, models and issues
and the use of software tools for rhino conservation.
Of interest will be a discussion to explore possibilities of partnering
with NGOs, the private sector and Rhino Management Authorities
and discuss contractual arrangements for rhino conservation areas.
IUCN ROSA co-ordinates the SADC Rhino Programme at various levels.
The programme is implemented through a regional consortium which
comprises the Wildlife Sector Technical Co-ordinating Unit of
SADC, IUCN-ROSA (The World Conservation Union - Regional Office
for Southern Africa) - The IUCN Species Survival Commission's
African Rhino Specialist Group, WWF-SARPO - (World wide Fund for
Nature - Southern Africa Regional Programme Office) and CESVI
(Cooperazione e Sviluppo). Four SADC countries namely; Angola,
Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia are in the SADC
Rhino Recovery Group (RRG) together with individual representatives
from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (African Rhino Specialist
Group) and the SADC Rhino Management Group. One of the key objectives
of the SADC Regional Rhino Programme is to assist present and
former range states with re-establishing viable rhino populations
by using expertise and rhinos from the other SADC countries that
have established rhino conservation programmes. The SADC RRG countries
will be the main beneficiaries of this input.(March 11, 2003)
http://www.iucnrosa.org.zw/
IUCN TO GUIDE AWARENESS GENERATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHERN
AFRICA
Southern Africa faces many challenges in the successful development
and implementation of Water Demand Management (WDM) strategies.
WDM studies done under the IUCN ROSA's Regional WDM project, hosted
by the South Africa IUCN Office, indicate inadequate understanding
of what WDM is and the associated benefits as one of the key challenges
facing southern Africa. This challenge has, among other things,
often resulted in the region's inability to create the requisite
social and institutional environment for the implementation of
WDM. In its effort to promote the adoption of WDM as a means to
support sustainable water resources management in countries and
institutions of southern Africa, IUCN has mobilised water and
communication experts from southern Africa to develop guidelines
for generating awareness and developing local WDM implementation
strategies. The main purpose of the guidelines is to assist in
creating awareness on WDM among specific target groups and to
assist the implementers in developing integrated WDM implementation
strategies in different social and institutional contexts. During
their first meeting this week, the experts established a common
vision for the guidelines and defined target users, audiences
and a content framework. The experts have also worked out a preliminary
implementation strategy and approach. The awareness guidelines
are required to motivate and assist all institutional stakeholders
in generating awareness of WDM among the stakeholders at different
levels of water management and use. This will be done through
'selling' the relevance and benefits of WDM implementation at
each specific level of water management and use. This component
will be developed with a view to change behaviour and will therefore
address the incentives for adopting and promoting WDM. Key aspect
of the guidelines will be examples or case studies, facts and
figures that demonstrate the value of sound WDM.
The implementation guidelines will focus on developing a framework
that will assist implementers to formulate their own ('local')
WDM implementation strategies. The framework will consider the
social (including political), economic, technical (engineering
and environmental) and institutional (including operational) aspects
of WDM implementation. The IUCN project on WDM hopes to increase
awareness of WDM amongst politicians, professionals and role players
in the water supply chain and to collect and disseminate sound
information on WDM and assess the benefits accruing. The project
also seeks to improve the capacity of technical, educational and
policy professionals to promote and implement WDM. In addition,
under this project IUCN is documenting the application and testing
of WDM measures in pilot case study areas and support the implementation
of guidelines in different sectors in selected countries of the
region. To date, four main project components have been developed
to meet the above objectives. These include five Country studies,
which have been completed, six Research studies, (five are complete),
three analytical papers (two are complete while the third is underway),
sets of Guidelines (to be informed by all project outputs to date)
and a tertiary training module (aimed at post graduate students
as well as water professionals). The WDM Phase II project is being
funded by Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and aims to promote
the adoption of efficient, equitable, integrated and sustainable
approaches to water resources management in southern Africa.
(IUCNROSA website March 6, 2003); Related story: Mauritius Government
Ministers Endorse Water Demand Management Country Study, September
25, 2002; http://www.iucnrosa.org.zw/news/water.html
"EVERY RIVER HAS ITS PEOPLE" PROJECT
The KCS implemented project is on a 17 months extension. There
were delays in producing educational materials by the Desert Research
Foundation, which are crucial for undertaking the educational
and capacity building phases of the project. Training for communities
is continuing and it has covered organized resource groups, major
village institutions and schools in selected villages around the
project area. The project team had also guided the Desert Research
Foundation staff to Ngamiland school visits observing actual teaching
in Botswana and also took the Basinwide forum members to a training
workshop from 1st - 4th Dec. 2002, Windhoek Namibia. Basinwide
forum members also had an opportunity to meet with OKACOM commissioners
and discussed strategies for collaboration. More information can
be accessed from the project web-site: www.everyriver.com
A NEW ERA FOR PROTECTED AREAS
"The concepts and structures that guided the development
of protected areas in the 20th century are inadequate for the
challenges of the 21st. Constituencies and purposes are rapidly
changing, and if such areas are to have a significant place in
Southern Africa's future politico-economic map these changes must
be addressed," stressed participants at a recent workshop
on communities, equity and protected areas. The Vth IUCN World
Parks Congress (WPC) to be held in Durban, South Africa, this
September, aims to do just that: take stock of protected areas;
provide an honest appraisal of progress and setbacks; and chart
the course for protected areas over the next decade and beyond.
Drawing on Southern Africa's extensive experience in community-based
natural resource management, the workshop, which was held in Pretoria,
South Africa, in preparation for the WPC, endorsed adding a governance
dimension to the IUCN system of protected area categories and
thus enhancing the legitimacy and recognition of Community Conserved
Areas and Co-Managed Protected Areas. Participants noted that
the active involvement of those living in and around protected
areas can enhance conservation and livelihoods. They also recommended
that protected area goals and governance structures be reviewed
to achieve this synergy and further developed on the basis of
negotiated formal agreements between parks management and relevant
communities regarding reciprocal responsibilities and benefits.
The workshop was sponsored by the Programme for Land and Agrarian
Studies (PLAAS); the Africa Resources Trust (ART); the IUCN CEESP
Theme on Indigenous and Local Communities, Equity and Protected
Areas; Siemenpuu Foundation (Finland) and the Ford Foundation,
and attended by key professionals from the region.
Related links: PLAAS: http://www.cbnrm.uwc.ac.za; Africa Resources Trust: http://www.art.org.zw; TILCEPA (IUCN CEESP Theme on Indigenous and Local Communities, Equity and Protected Areas) http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/Wkg_grp/TILCEPA/TILCEPA.htm; TILCEPA page on Community Conserved Areas http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/Wkg_grp/TILCEPA/community.htm; Siemenpuu Foundation, Finland : http://www.siemenpuu.org; Ford Foundation: http://www.fordfound.org/; CBNRM in Southern Africa http://www.cbnrm.uwc.ac.za;
IMPROVED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS NEEDED
Southern Africa environmentalists are calling for improved community-based
natural resources management systems to ensure communities benefit
from natural resources surrounding them. The environmentalists
made the call in South Africa at a recent preparatory workshop
for the Fifth World Parks Congress to be held in the same country
later this year. It was noted that communities in the region have
watched helplessly for a long time while outsiders plunder resources
next to them. The participants, who also included academics, called
for new models of protected areas such as national parks to ensure
that communities benefit from such resources. Research has already
established that as one moves closer to resource-rich protected
areas, the degree of poverty gets sharper. This shows that communities
settled around such natural resource-rich areas are being denied
benefits from resources that are just a stone's throw away. While
neighbouring communities do not have money to engage in big tourism
ventures, wealthy city dwellers and foreign-owned companies generate
millions of dollars annually from tourism businesses they run
in and around national parks. Yet this relationship has often
resulted in a conflict between the surrounding communities and
those managing the parks, as the people demanded a share of the
natural resources. Ford Foundation programme officer Mr James
Murombedzi said southern African communities were alienated from
the resources they used to manage well by colonialism.
"It must take post-colonial governments to rethink on whether
to go back to pre-colonial conservation methods," said Mr
Murombedzi. "Colonialism wanted to establish order, but environmental
historians say this actually disturbed the good management of
resources by communities." What is needed in the region is
to convince world leaders and national park managers to allow
disadvantaged communities settled next to parklands to start deriving
benefits from their rich diversity. This is the message that the
southern African region will carry to the Fifth World Parks Congress
to agitate for a new order that will ensure rural communities
benefit from natural resources around them. But concern was raised
on how the devolution of power and responsibility to manage benefits
from natural resources from the state and individuals to lower
structures was to be achieved. "The problem surrounding devolution
of authority over resources to local communities probably constitutes
the single biggest problem facing the southern African region,"
said Southern Africa Sustainable Use Group chairman Mr Brian Jones.
"Methods that work need to be put in place to ensure that
this is achieved for the benefit of all those involved."
The workshop participants recommended that to go around the problem,
local institutions and communities must be empowered by statutory
instruments that protect them if they are to have a role in conservation
of natural resources.
This will lead to new and innovative models for protected areas
based on co-management of natural resources with communities.
The other vexing issue was on how communities will benefit from
natural resources in conservancies that are mostly viewed as private
property.
Conservancies are a recent development formed following the pulling
together of resources and land by freehold farmers to form large
wildlife sanctuaries. It was noted there has already been a conflict
surrounding the issue of conservancies in Zimbabwe, with local
communities venting their frustration by invading the areas, demanding
a share of the natural resources.
The concept of conservancies began to emerge in Zimbabwe following
efforts by the then Department of National Parks and Wildlife
Management to develop breeding areas for the black rhino in safe
sanctuaries. According to the Namibian Ministry of Environment
and Tourism, there are at least 24 conservancies on freehold land
in that country covering at least four million hectares. In South
Africa, freehold conservancies were promoted by the Natal Parks
Board to facilitate water catchment conservation through encouraging
groups of farmers to monitor the impact of their land management
practices on the health of river systems. While some participants
said owners of conservancies should not share resources with surrounding
communities because they are private properties, others said that
should not be the case. "We need new mechanisms to ensure
that we avoid conflicts in conservancies by making sure there
is a partnership between farmers and communities that is beneficial
to both sides," said Africa Resources Trust director Dr Cecil
Machena.
"Wildlife is very much of a public resource and people view
it in that way. We need clear mechanisms to ensure everyone benefits."
The promotion of equity in sharing resources, whether in conservancies
or any other protected areas, was seen as the only way to ensure
there is no conflict between communities and those who manage
such areas. The major recommendation to come out of the workshop
was the need for new and innovative models of management of natural
resources to ensure local communities benefit. These new forms
of management must aim at ensuring the sustainable use of natural
resources. The southern African region will present some of its
recommendations at the Fifth World Parks Congress in Durban in
September.
(by Lovemore Chikova Zimbabwe Herald Newspaper, March 4, 2003.
Visit their site on www.herald.co.zw)
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE MEETS ON CBNRM
Environmental organisations (IUCN, Kalahari Conservation Society
and Thusano Lefatsheng) on behalf of the National CBNRM Forum
met with Members of Parliament on the 11th of February 2003 in
the Gaborone International Convention Centre to brief them on
Community-based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM).
The Committee on Agriculture and Environment, made up of the honourable
Mr Ambrose Masalila, Mr. Ronald Sebego (Chairman), Mr. James Maruatona,
Mr. Kebadire Kalake and Mr. Pono Moatlhodi, was interested in
the progress made in the implementation of CBNRM projects in Botswana.
The NGOs in their turn wanted to rally support to have the CBNRM
Policy (in draft form for some years now) passed by Parliament.
Mr Felix Monggae of KCS emphasised the value of CBNRM as a natural
resources conservation tool. The aim of the programme is to build
the capacity of communities to conserve - meaning to use in a
sustainable manner - the natural resources that surround them.
It was stressed that this practice is a benefit to the nation
as the communities conserve in this way the country's resources
for future generations. It was explained that living with natural
resources (such as wildlife) brings along costs (e.g. destroyed
crops, restricted development opportunities) and that these costs
need to be compensated by allowing communities to benefit from
the natural resources.
Mr Monggae summarised the benefits of CBNRM for Government Departments
(improved management of natural resources) and the benefits for
communities (income, jobs, skill development, decreased dependency
on Government hand-outs). He also counteracted the statement that
wildlife as a national resource should be treated as diamonds.
'Wildlife is a renewable resource. When properly managed it multiplies.
Communities can do that very well provided their benefits exceed
the costs. This benefits the nation as a whole'. Diamonds are
not renewable. Their extraction leaves an empty hole in the ground.
It is only fair that minerals benefit the entire nation and not
a single community as no management costs are incurred to protect
the resource as is the case with wildlife, forests, fish and grass.
Presented case studies showed that CBNRM projects are slowly spreading
over the entire country. Mrs. Masego Madzwamuse from IUCN explained
that CBNRM projects are not limited to wildlife but could be built
on veld products and tourism. Especially in the latter case it
was acknowledged that community-managed tourism projects offer
excellent opportunities for Batswana to develop skills to become
involved in the tourism sector. Untapped tourism potential exists
in eastern and southern Botswana. The organisations involved in
CBNRM were encouraged to expand their activities over the whole
of Botswana. There was agreement that the necessary financial
resources should be made available for that to happen.
Miss Francina Nkani explained the efforts of communities, NGOs
and Government departments to ensure a sustainable use of veld
products. This is done by undertaking resource inventories (which
resources are available?); by making management plans (in what
way are resources used?); and by introducing quota systems and
proper harvesting techniques (for example how much sengaparile
can be harvested in a sustainable way in a certain area)?
It was acknowledged that CBNRM is a community capacity-building
programme that can not progress without communities making mistakes
along the way. It is up to Government extension departments and
the NGOs to ensure that communities learn from their mistakes
and improve. It was also acknowledged that time and financial
resources should be made available to facilitate this process.
It was further said that having a policy in place is vital for
Government to give guidance to all stakeholders in the implementation
of CBNRM. A policy would also encourage investments in CBNRM by
the private sector and international donors.
Miss Mercy Motladiile from KCS emphasised that Botswana has signed
international conventions such as the Convention for Biological
Diversity (CBD) obliging the country to uphold certain standards
in natural resources management. One of these standards, Miss
Motladiile explained, is the sustained involvement of local communities
and their knowledge in the management of natural resources. CBNRM,
she argued, is the ideal approach of incorporating the international
natural resources management standards Botswana has pledged to
adhere to. For this to happen in a structured way a national CBNRM
Policy is very necessary. For more information please visit the
CBNRM website at www.cbnrm.bw
(Press-Release, Article supplied by the National CBNRM Forum)
DIVUNDU HYDRO POWER PROJECT, EASTERN CAPRIVI
The Namibian power company, NamPower, has called for tenders for
a pre-feasibility study of the hydroelectric potential at Popa
Falls on the Okavango River in eastern Caprivi (tender NPWR/2002/44).
The investigation revives a preliminary feasibility investigation
that was carried out in 1969. The 1969 study suggested that a
weir be built either on Popa Falls or a short distance upstream.
The weir would be between 6 and 8 metres high, and water would
be diverted via either a headrace canal or pipeline to a turbine
below the falls. The station has an estimated rating of between
20 and 30 MW. There will be no water abstraction, but there will
be some regulation of the seasonal flows. Figure 2 is a plan showing
alternative sites for the location of the weir.
The environmental effects of the proposed weir are a source of
grave concern. The most significant effect will arise from the
impoundment of the river sediment by the weir. Approximately 100
000 cubic metres of sand are brought into the Panhandle portion
of the Okavango swamps each year. This sediment is vital to the
functioning of the ecosystem. The Okavango Delta is located in
a region of high evapotranspirational water loss, and some 98%
of the annual flood water plus local rain water is lost to the
atmosphere each year. Dissolved salts locally accumulate to toxic
levels, particularly on islands in the seasonal and permanent
swamps. These swamps are fed by a network of channel systems,
which distribute the water and sediment supplied by the Okavango
River. Channels leak water, but retain the sand. As a consequence,
channels have a limited life, and become less efficient in transporting
water as sand accumulates, and eventually they fail and are abandoned.
New channels form elsewhere in response. This process results
in the periodic desiccation of flooded areas, as water shifts
elsewhere. During these periods of desiccation, rain flushes out
the toxic salts that have accumulated in soils in affected areas,
resulting in ecosystem renewal. Peat, which has accumulated around
the failed channels, dries and burns off, adding valuable nutrients
to the generally impoverished Delta soils. In this way, the constant
shifting of channels surface spreads nutrients and salts evenly
over the very large surface of the Delta.
The sandy sediment is a vital component in the ecosystem, because
it forces constant change, resulting in continuous ecosystem renewal.
This constant change also means that climax vegetation communities
seldom appear. Rather, the Delta remains a mosaic of communities
in different developmental or successional states. It is this
dynamism that is responsible for the wide diversity of habitats
found in the Okavango Delta, and the fact that in spite of the
very high evapotranspirational water loss, the surface water is
always fresh.
Removal of the bedload sediment will threaten this dynamism. Rough
calculations based on two of the suggested weir designs indicate
that sandy sediment will be cut off for a period of between 130
and 200 years. During this time massive erosion will occur downstream,
probably in the Panhandle region of the Delta. After this period,
sand will again flow the past the weir, and will begin to fill
the eroded sections, which will take a further 130 to 200 years
to complete. The immediate effects of weir construction will therefore
be felt for several centuries. It is difficult to predict what
the knock-on effects will be downstream in the Delta itself, but
whatever they are, it is clear they will last for a long time.
It is possible that the process of channel failure and abandonment
will be significantly retarded, reducing the rate of ecosystem
renewal. This could cause the Delta to become moribund, with a
reduced diversity of habitats, and could also promote excessive
toxic salt accumulation. Salinization of portions of the swamps
could result.
Because the sandy sediment is so vital to the functioning of the
ecosystem, no structure that will inhibit its movement into the
Delta should ever be constructed. Further information regarding
this matter can be found in Ellery WN and McCarthy TS, "Principles
for the sustainable utilization of the Okavango Delta ecosystem,
Botswana. Biological Conservation, v 70, 159-168, 1994.
General information and references on the Okavango Delta may be
found at http://www.wits.ac.za/science/geology/okavango/index.htm
(article by Prof T S McCarthy,)
BOTSWANA, NAMIBIA DISAGREE OVER POWER PLANT
The proposed Popa Falls power plant has been rejected by Botswana
participants at a consultation meeting convened by high-ranking
Namibian officials. The opponents of the project who are mainly
proprietors of Safari companies expressed fears that the plant
would destroy the Okavango Delta. The general manager of Nampower
and the leader of the project told the participants "if there
are some concerns that we can not mitigate, we will not continue
with the project. We will be transparent and if this project is
not feasible we will look at other options". One senior official
responding to the scepticism and reservations about the project
said if Botswana can prove scientifically that the Okavango Delta
is threatened, then the project will be abandoned. The Namibian
officials briefed the meeting about the preliminary assessment
study, which was meant to make recommendations on whether the
proposed project is technically, economically and environmentally
feasible. Some potential impacts identified in the preliminary
impact assessment (PEA) include employment, displacement of people,
flooding, altered flow regimes and aesthetic impacts. The PEA
also called for a public participation process, consultation with
authorities and written submissions. ECOSURV has been contracted
to conduct public meetings in Botswana and introduce the project
proposal and environmental study.
(Mmegi, 14-20 February 2003, pp. 4)
EHF DEEPENS CONSERVATION IN BOTSWANA
The board and management of the Environmental Heritage Foundation
(EHF) of Botswana say they are determined to foster environmental
conservation in Botswana. The foundation says it appreciates the
contribution made by "EHF Friends", a voluntary composition
of conservationists who wish to donate time, ideas and other material
resources in support of EHF activities. The foundation wants to
see its vision of "adequate and sustainable financing for
Environment Conservation 2016", through. Strategic objectives
of EHF, in its endeavour to see the vision through include: institutional
strengthening, funding of community environmental conservation
projects, and incorporating investment strategies. According to
the press statement, strategic decisions taken by the board in
preparation of this year highlight pertinent issues of the development
of a head office building in Gaborone and lobbying government
funding for environmental conservation especially through the
"Policy Guidelines for Financial Support to NGOs".
(Mmegi, 14-20 February 2003, pp. 12)
BOTS PILOTS REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME
Like elsewhere in Africa, those most vulnerable to poverty in
Botswana often live in areas of the worst environmental degradation.
To tackle this environmental problem, Botswana has joined hands
with Kenya and Mali under a five-year project overseen by the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project is entitled
Management of Indigenous Vegetation for the rehabilitation of
degraded Rangelands in the Arid Zone of Africa, or in short Indigenous
Vegetation Project. It is meant to empower rural communities to
reverse environmental degradation and restore biodiversity within
their areas. This will enable the communities to use natural resources
in a sustainable manner to improve their livelihoods. The project
started in 2002 and is expected to be completed in 2007. The project
sites all share the common challenges of highly variable and unpredictable
rainfall, with pronounced dry seasons and recurrent droughts.
At the centre of the project is the decentralisation of management
control over natural resources to local communities.
(Mmegi, 14-20 February 2003, pp. 16)
IUCN MOZAMBIQUE TO SUPPORT LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
INITIATIVES
IUCN Mozambique, through its Environmental and Awareness Fund
(EAF) programme, has received funds from the Royal Netherlands
Government which will support local initiatives that promote the
sustainable management of natural resources through the encouragement
of local participation in environmental projects and the raising
of awareness through applied training and research. The funds,
amounting to more than USD 1.2 million, will be disbursed in three
phases, with each phase focusing on a different thematic area.
The first phase will focus on the dissemination of information
and exchange of experiences in innovative methodologies and approaches
to sustainable natural resources management.
The second and third phases will concentrate on training and development
of pilot projects as well as empowerment, advocacy, and formulation
of policies.
This will see the creation, publishing and distribution of books
and the support of Community-Based Natural Resources Management
(CBNRM) and forestry programmes at local level. The fund will
make use of existing channels of communication such as the mass
media, in the dissemination of environment information.
The EAF has been highly relevant in supporting social and environmental
development needs in Mozambique. It has promoted the emergence
and the strengthening of an environmentally aware civil society.
The resources it has provided have helped in addressing environmental
challenges, build capacities, empower existing and emerging institutions,
raise awareness and helped in the dissemination of environmental
information in the country and across borders.
For more information you can contact Caroline Gwature at carolineg@iucnrosa.org.zw
(IUCN Mozambique).
TOURISM POTENTIAL IN BOTSWANA IS ENORMOUS
In recognition of the importance of the tourism sector of Botswana,
a Tourism Master Plan was formulated in 2000 to guide the future
growth of the industry. From the Master Plan a National Eco-tourism
Strategy (NES) intended to accelerate the pace of diversification
of the tourism industry, has been developed. The NES emphasises
the importance of eco-tourism. The strategy calls for "responsible
travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains
the well being of local people". The emphasis is on the utilisation
of the country's cultural as well as natural heritage. Some communities
seem to have long mastered the concept of eco-tourism though;
even before the advent of the NES. The Moremi communities in the
Tswapong North constituency have the Moremi Gorge as an example
of eco-tourism. "By embarking on this project to develop
and promote the Moremi Gorge as an eco-tourism, this community
is joining the Department of Tourism in demonstrating to the world
that in addition to the wildlife, Botswana has a rich collection
of culture and myths, which could be added to the attractions
for tourists" the Director of Tourism Department, Thabologo
Ndzinge, said. Located some distance from the main village the
gorge is indeed a marvel to watch. Breeding colonies of cape vultures
nest on the cliffs above the gorge, providing a spectacular sight,
especially in the evening. A part from the gorge, the Tswapong
Hills are also a historical site. The Moremi Manonnye Conservation
Trust recognises that one does not become an eco-tourist simply
by having nature at his destination. "We will keep a close
eye on those who visit the area to ensure that the environment
is conserved and when the project is at its full swing we will
have full-time guides to ensure that what visitors get is worth
their money".
(Kutlwano, December 2002, Vol.40, Issue 12, pp 12)
BIODIVERSITY LOSS CAUSES CONCERN
The loss of biological diversity is occurring and causing concern
throughout the world. Therefore there is a need to promote co-operation
between governments, international organisations and the general
population, Sakhile Koketso (NCSA Project officer involved in
the NBSAP-National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan) told
to a full council meeting in Francistown. According to Koketso,
indigenous and local communities should maintain control over
the biological resources in their territories and lands. She gave
the council an overview of the work and recommendations of the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). "The convention
calls for the encouragement of traditional use of biological diversity
and the respect, preservation and maintenance of the knowledge,
innovation and practices of indigenous and local communities"
she said. By signing and ratifying the convention Botswana committed
itself among other things to: develop national strategies for
the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources;
establish training and research programmes to address the concerns
and issues relating to biodiversity; and to take account of issues
and concerns relating to biodiversity social, economic and environmental
policy and action.
(Mmegi, 28 February - 6 March 2003, pp. 39)
REVISITING THE "PROBLEM OF THE BOUNDARIES" IN MANAGING
NATURAL RESOURCES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
It sounded like a great new idea. Avoid heavy-handed central regulation.
Divide up Africa. Decentralise management. Establish 'sovereign
units.' That was the 'scramble for Africa.' And it worked. Well,
for a while. What could have gone wrong with all this? Plenty,
as it happens. The setting up of boundaries by colonial powers
was driven by ideology, political power and military conquest.
Not that ideology, politics or military are terrible things. Just
that this method of dividing up Africa gave little consideration
to neither physical and ecological features nor cultural linkages
of African people. This not only disrupted physical and ecological
linkages but also effectively created opposing management and
land-use practices. Noting the importance of these issues to natural
resource management and community development in Southern Africa,
IUCN ROSA has published a book examining the problem of boundaries
in managing natural resources. Titled "Transboundary Conflict
Management in Southern Africa", the book, interrogates transboundary
developments and the extent to which they create new strategic
alliances and promote a culture of peace. The publication also
examines issues of environmental conflict resolution, procedures
for diagnosing conflicts and application of creative problem-solving
processes. Using the example of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier
Park, shared by Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. the book
highlights conflicts associated with the establishment, development
and management of this transfrontier park. It presents the process
leading to the establishment of the park and discusses existing
and potential conflicts emerging from the development. If you
are interested in a copy write to carolineg@iucnrosa.org.zw
for details on how to access one. Soon a pdf copy will be available
for downloading from the web.
(IUCNROSA for more information you can also visit the website
at www.iucnrosa.org.zw/)
NEW THREAT LOOMS FOR OKAVANGO DELTA
The Okavango Delta, home to over 100,000 people and the mainstay
of Botswana's burgeoning tourist industry, is faced with a serious
new threat. The Delta, in its current diverse and dynamic form,
will be irreversibly changed for the worse if plans to build a
dam at Popa Falls on the Okavango River in Namibia go ahead.
The Namibian Power Company, NamPower, is investigating the feasibility
of generating hydro-electric power by constructing a six to eight
metre high dam wall right at the Falls or slightly upstream. Since
there will be no offtake of water from the dam, this would seem
to be a harmless project which would contribute significantly
to development in Namibia. However, it would alter two natural
processes that together would have a devastating impact on the
Okavango.
Firstly, the dam will regulate the seasonal flow of water down
the Okavango River and into the Delta. The annual floods that
are the lifeblood of the Delta would become attenuated, and the
vibrant and diverse ecosystem that is driven partly by flooding
would stagnate. Although not on the scale of Kariba or Cahora
Bassa Dams, the plight of the once productive Zambezi Delta stands
as a stark reminder of the negative impacts of hydro-electric
schemes on wildlife, wetlands and human welfare. The World Commission
on Dams has documented countless similar examples.
The dam would have a second, less obvious but far more significant,
impact - it would trap sediment transported by the river and which
is vital to the functioning of the Okavango Delta downstream.
Decades of study by the Okavango Research Group, a multi-disciplinary
team under the direction of Prof, TS McCarthy, has produced an
understanding of the ecological processes driving the Delta dynamics,
and the distribution of sediment plays a key role in maintaining
the varied and productive nature of this inland oasis.
Sediment is important in channel evolution. The Okavango River
brings water and sediment into the system, and these are distributed
throughout the swamps by a network of channels. In Prof. McCarthy's
words "The channels leak water, but retain the sand. As a
consequence, channels have a limited life, and become less efficient
in transporting water as sand accumulates, and eventually they
fail and are abandoned. New channels form elsewhere in response
…". This constantly shifting allocation of water to
different parts of the Delta is, in turn, more important than
may seem at first glance. This is because of another interesting
feature of the Delta - with the high rate of evapo-transpiration
in the region, some 98% of the annual floodwater is lost to the
atmosphere each year, leaving the previously dissolved salts in
the system. "The dissolved salts locally accumulate to toxic
levels, particularly on islands in the seasonal and permanent
swamps. As water shifts elsewhere following channel abandonment,
rain flushes out the toxic salts from affected areas, resulting
in ecosystem renewal. The constant shifting of channels spreads
nutrients and salts over the whole Delta" he explains.
The variety forced on the system by annual floods, changes in
channel alignment, as well as other natural factors such as island
formation and fire, result in the Okavango Delta being a highly
productive bio-diversity hotspot. The construction of even a small
dam could cause the Delta to gradually become moribund - parts
of it would be sterilised by salt accumulation. Prof McCarthy
concludes "Because the sandy sediment is so vital to the
functioning of the ecosystem, no structure that will inhibit its
movement into the Delta should ever be constructed".
In this new era of sustainable development, human beings are striving
to achieve livelihoods that do not disrupt our life support systems,
but rather are in harmony with nature. Does this project represent
a step in the right direction? It may be that NamPower is only
making a very preliminary investigation into the feasibility of
the scheme. However, its potentially far-reaching consequences
demand that it be regarded as the most serious threat the Okavango
has faced this century.
"The Okavango is like a reflection in a pond - beautiful
to behold. Grasp it, and it disappears". (By Pete Hancock
pete@info.bw January 2003)
UN LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FRESHWATER
Endeavouring to raise awareness and promote action on managing
and protecting clean water resources, the United Nations has launched
the International Year of Freshwater and declared 2003 International
Year of Freshwater. The General Assembly proclaimed the International
Year in December 2000, following the 2000 Millennium Declaration
by world leaders, who pledged to reduce by half the proportion
of people who are unable to reach, or to afford, safe drinking
water by 2015. According to the UN, 1.2 billion people are without
access to freshwater and 2.4 billion lack proper sanitation. More
than 3 million die each year from diseases caused by unsafe water.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan underscored the importance of
improving stewardship of water resources, stating "Let us
use the knowledge and technology at our disposal and do our utmost
to protect the world's precious resources - our lifeline for survival
and sustainable development in the 21st century." UN Deputy
Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette, said the main goals
for the Year would be to raise awareness, create a platform for
creativity with regard to new ideas, technologies and arrangements,
and increase participation throughout all segments and levels
of society.
As part of the Year's observances, in January 2003 the UN will
issue the first edition of the World Water Development Report,
a joint effort involving 23 UN agencies and other entities that
provides a comprehensive view of today's water problems and offers
recommendations for meeting future water demand. For further information
you can visit the International Year of Freshwater website http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=5640&Cr=freshwater&Cr1
(Linkages Update, a fortnightly e-update of what's new on IISD's
Linkages website. January 2003)
KRS, SNDT RECEIVES CANADIAN ASSISTANCE
Canada's High Commissioner to Botswana, John Schram, has presented
the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust (KRST) with P72.555. The envoy
also handed over another P52.114 to the Serowe North Development
Trust (SNDT). The grants are made available through the Canada
Fund for Local Initiatives. This is a small grants fund administered
by World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in Gaborone and funded
by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Monies
form this grant will be used to purchase furniture and office
equipment for the Sanctuary's newly constructed Environmental
Education Centre. The Centre's purpose is to educate students,
both Batswana and international, about local and global environmental
issues through hands-on activities. " Environmental sustainability
is an essential part of long-term development. The incredible
diversity of wildlife in Botswana is certainly a resource worth
protecting" said Schram. The Canada Fund supports the self-help
initiatives of non-governmental organisations, community-based
organisations, cooperatives and organised groups in Botswana.
It's objective is to support small projects by providing technical,
economic, educational and/or social development assistance to
the local populations.
(Mmegi, 31st January-6th February 2003, pg. B20)
FUND CUT HAMPERS UNDP
UN resident co-ordinator to Botswana, Bjorn Forde, says the UNDP
is faced with a financial crisis as its fund has been cut by half.
The cut could be attributed to failure by some member countries
to pay their contributions to the world body, thus hindering it
from carrying out new and old development projects. Ford said
even though the status quo puts pressure on UNDP to deliver on
its mandate, they would do everything to increase networking and
knowledge. He said UN systems would "find the right place
where we can deliver good ideas and link up to help Botswana achieve
Vision 2016 aspirations." The resident co-ordinator also
asked what UNDP was expected to do and what resources would be
available to make the NEPAD goals a reality. The Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Merafhe, pointed out that there will be some countries
that would it find difficult to be part of NEPAD as it requires
amongst others good governance, transparency and the rule of law
and that NEPAD was not an institution but a programme managed
by the African Union.
(Daily News, January 29th 2003, pg.1)
NETWORKING AFRICA'S FUTURE: LESSONS OF EMPOWERMENT FROM COMMUNITIES
Acacia Conference to be held at Kwa Maritane, South Africa from
13-16 April 2003. The conference promises to close the loop between
research and practice, revealing what has actually been achieved
in Africa using information and communication technologies (ICTs)
for development. It will focus on key emerging themes such as
alleviating poverty through ICTs, schoolnets, telecentres, policy
issues and innovation. Entitled "Networking Africa's Future",
the event will be held in rural South Africa at the Kwa Maritane
game lodge, and will feature a state-of-the-art Internet satellite
system as the platform for a website covering the discussions.
Speakers will address African-specific and international issues
related to information communication technologies and development,
while delegates will have the opportunity to have "seven
minutes of fame" during the plenary sessions to describe
the concrete results they have had in the field to alleviate poverty
or improve development infrastructures in this regard. The final
objective of the conference is to stimulate thinking about ICTs
in Africa and to recommend new research avenues. Acacia is a Pan-African
programme of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC),
supporting research on Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) for Development. Website: For information and bookings,
a local Acacia website has been created at www.acacia.org.za.
Go there to sign up for attendance. In the coming weeks, additional
information such as the agenda and the list of speakers will be
added to this site. Venue: Kwa Maritane Bush lodge is situated
in the North West province of South Africa; 2 hours drive from
Johannesburg, and 8km from Sun City. Simultaneous interpretation
French/English will be provided during the entire conference.
Conference co-ordinator : Julie Atkinson Email: Julie Atkinson
at info@acacia.org.za
Kwa Maritane Website : www.legacyhotels.co.za
IUCN Botswana is part of the international membership organisation,
IUCN-The World Conservation Union, which brings together states,
governments and a diverse range of NGOs in a global partnership
concerned with environmental issues. The IUCN Botswana Programme
started in 1984 in connection with its involvement in preparing
the National Conservation Strategy for Botswana. Other key activities
in Botswana include an independent review of the Southern Okavango
Integrated Development Project, prepare feasibility study for
conducting a State of the Environment Review, prepare management
plans for national parks, and formulate policy on Environmental
Impact Assessment. Present major activities include the IUCN Botswana
NGO Support Programme, CBNRM Support Programme (joint SNV/IUCN),
Community Outreach Programme (with ART and Theatre for Africa)
and the formulation of a Wetlands Policy and Strategy for Botswana
(with Ecosurv for GoB). For informations visit our site www.iucnbot.bw
Greetings from IUCN Botswana