Transcript Document

The Every River Has Its People Project is in support
of OKACOM and aims to build bridges between local
stakeholders and OKACOM
Implemented by:
Regionally and for Botswana
Kalahari Conservation
Society
Felix Moggae
Chief Executive Officer
P O Box 859
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: +267 374557
Fax: +267 314259
e-mail: [email protected]
In Namibia
Namibia Nature
Foundation
Nils Odendaal
Project Co-ordinator
PO Box 245
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: + 264 61 248345
Fax: + 264 61 248344
e-mail: [email protected]
Namibia continued:
IRDNC
Integrated Rural
Development and Nature
Conservation
Dr. Margret Jacobsohn
Co-director
PO Box 24050
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 61 228506
Fax: +264 61 228530
E-mail: [email protected]
Supported by:
Desert Research Foundation
of Namibia
Bertus Kruger
Deputy Director
PO Box 20232
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 61 229855
Fax: +264 61 230172
E-mail: [email protected]
Rössing
Foundation
Len Le Roux
Director
Private Bag 13214
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 61 211721
Fax: +264 61 211273
E-mail: [email protected]
The Project Area
No field work has
been done in Angola,
due to the security
situation on the
ground
In Namibia the surveys
were held from July to
September 2001.
Extensive Socio-Ecological Surveys
were undertaken by project staff in
partnership with local communities,
regional and local authorities, line
ministries and NGOs.
In Botswana the
surveys were held in
November and
December 2000.
Map of the Okavango basin,
showing all contributing
drainage systems
Goal
Promote the sustainable management of
natural resources in the Okavango River
Basin for the benefit of basin residents and
states, through promoting and facilitating the
effective participation of basin stakeholders
in natural resource decision-making and
management, particularly related to water
resources.
The OBJECTIVES of the project are two-fold:
1. To increase the capacity of communities and other
local stakeholders to participate effectively in
decision making about the natural resources of the
Okavango River Basin, particularly those related to
water resources, at local, national and regional
(basin-wide) levels.
2. To develop mechanisms to promote and facilitate
the participation of communities and other local
stakeholders in natural resource management and
decision making, particularly those related to
water resources, at local, national and basin-wide
levels.
Map of the Okavango Detla showing the Survey Areas
MOHEMBO
Location Map for the Okavango Delta
N
SHAKAWE
Xakao
Socio – Ecological
Surveys: Botswana
Gudigwa
Ngarange
SEPOPA
Ikoga
Beetsha
Gunitsoga
SERONGA
Areas surveyed shown in
red
Nqohha
ETSHA
GUMARE
Emphasis of survey on
gathering of quantitative
data
Nokaneng
SHOROBE
MAUN
Building partnerships
Chanoga
TSAU
Motlopi
TOTENG
SEHITWA
Lake
Ngami
Understanding issues,
problems, solutions and
options
Survey Areas in Red
Improved understanding of
the Okavango as a system.
Adapted from SMEC, 1987
Map of the Kavango, showing surveyed areas
Central area
Kwangali
Area
Mbukushu area
Gciriku area
Socio-ecological Survey: Namibia
Emphasis on qualitative and quantitative data collection
Building partnerships, trust and consensus
Understanding the role of natural resources in peoples’ livelihoods
Understanding issues, problems, possible solutions and options,
including traditional management systems
 Identification of key local institutions
 Improved understanding of the Okavango as a system and peoples’
place therein.
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Socio-Ecological Survey
* Methodology developed and well tested in Namibia 
Holistic, rapid social and natural resource appraisals
 Introduction to project
 Develop shared understanding of resource issues, social
setting, problems, ideas, etc.
 Common vision in what should be done
 Gather priority information (traditional management,
resources etc.)
 Identify gaps in understanding and assess capacity-building
needs
 Identify local institutions, functions and capacity
 Agree on roles, responsibilities; etc.
The three main categories of the Socio-Ecological
Survey are:
1. Information giving
2. Information gathering
3. Consensus building and planning
The survey included:
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Household surveys
Village resource mapping
Resource inventories
Open discussions
Community meetings
Focused group discussions
One-on-one discussions
Feed back to Regional and Traditional Authorities
Problem:
Declining River Health
Causes:
Silting, erosion and dirty water
(turbidity)
Pollution – Urban, Local and
Chemical
Decline in water volume
Channels becoming blocked and
in some cases drying up
Suggested Solutions:
Protect riverbanks and riparian forests
Avoid cultivation too close to the riverbanks
Avoid cultivation on dunes facing the river
Protect flood plains and reed banks lining the river
Dredge the river and sell the sand to builders
Re-open channels blocked by vegetation by protecting hippo populations
Problem:
Declining fish stock and size
Causes:
Too many people fishing
Too many people using inappropriate fishing
methods e.g. mosquito nets.
No protected areas for fish breeding
No local control over outsiders
Local fishermen have insufficient management and
control of the fish resources
High-powered boats disturb breeding areas
Previous wetland areas are now dry
Suggested Solutions:
Appropriate and traditional fishing methods
Monitoring system and adaptive management
Local control
Enforcement of fishing regulations
Need protected areas for fish breeding stock
Protect floodplains for fish breeding
River needs to be zoned for different uses
Guidelines and regulations for boat and river use
Problem:
Insufficient water for people living away from the river
Causes:
Groundwater levels dropping (Borehole drying up)
Insufficient boreholes (Water supply)
Not enough provision and maintenance of water infrastructure (pumps)
Insufficient capacity to maintain water pumps and boreholes
Suggested Solutions:
Improve veld / rangeland management so as to improve water infiltration
Improve supply of water (pipe and borehole), linked to water and
rangeland management strategies for sustainable use.
Increase local capacity by providing training
Introduce appropriate financing mechanisms
Improve co-operation between government departments, NGOs and other
service providers for sustainable community development.
Problem:
Declining wildlife and lack of benefits
Causes:
Problem animals causing human, livestock and crop losses
Loss of wildlife through poaching, habitat loss, fencing etc.
Park and neighbours conflict
Insufficient benefits from wildlife and neighbouring parks
Insufficient local control over management and use
Suggested Solutions:
Sustainable management and harvesting methods which include
community based approaches, and devolution of rights over resource
management (i.e rights over resources)
Benefits from wildlife to appropriate level so as to offset the cost of
living with wildlife
Rapid response strategy for problem animals that empower people to
respond.
Strategy to reduce problem animal conflicts
Monitoring and adaptive management
Problem:
Declining productivity of rangeland and plants
Suggested Solutions:
Causes:
Loss of riparian vegetation (riverine
forests)
Loss of reeds and other aquatic plants
e.g. water lilies
Too frequent and uncontrolled fires
Overgrazing
Local farmers have insufficient control
over management of rangeland
Deforestation
Loss of fruit trees
Protect riparian vegetation along the river banks
Sustainable management and use of natural resources through community
approaches and devolution of rights (i.e. rights over resources)
based
Enforcing of existing traditional and legal mechanisms, rules and regulations
Improved recruitment, cultivation and propagation of fruit trees
Empowerment of traditional authorities, developing awareness and capacity
with appropriate skills
Causes:
Problem:
Conflict between different land uses
Social Concerns
Poor relations between inland and river residents
Angolan refugees exerting pressure on land, natural resources and social
infrastructure
Resources over-utilised without permission (outsiders)
Settlement encroachment
Community not committed to help itself
Alcohol problems in the community – apathy, disinterest
Sales hampered by unfair prices, lack of markets & transport
Lack of education, knowledge & expertise
Lack of information on traditional laws
Legal restrictions on access to resources
Suggested Solutions:
Community based approach to manage and control access to resources
Develop guidelines for harvesting of natural resources
Develop incentives and opportunities for marketing
Promote co-operation between inland & river residents
Empower traditional authorities
Safari operators and support agencies to train communities and /or employ local
people
Community involvement in formation of laws and local strategies on natural
resources and management practices
Facilitate sustainable use and conservation
A Preliminary Profile of the Kavango Region in
Namibia
A Preliminary Profile of the Kavango Region has been
produced to provide background material for the "Every
River Has its People Project". The bulk of the report
consists of maps and graphs derived largely from
analyses of recent surveys, censuses and mapping
projects. Brief comments are offered to help users
interpret the analyses and to highlight major issues and
processes in the region, especially those relating to
natural resources.
The report has been organised into four chapters, with
one chapter providing information on the Okavango River
in its entirety. Thereafter, almost all information
concentrates on the Kavango Region within Namibia.
Total annual rainfall at
Rundu and Andara
over the past 60 years
(left) and the years
during which different
amounts of rain fell
(right)
Total volume of water
carried per year by the
Okavango at Rundu and
Mukwe.
Average volume of water carried
monthly by the Okavango at
Rundu and Dirico.
This map shows the 11 different
vegetation types of the Kavango
region
This map shows the extent of
vegetation cover in the
Kavango region
Monthly average daily maximum,
mean and minimum temperatures at
Rundu.
Percentage of area burnt. This map shows how
the demarcated area has progressively been
more extensively burnt.
1996 – 45% of area burnt
1997 – 53% of area burnt
1998 – 51% of area burnt
1999 – 65% of area burnt
These maps (left of the figure)
show the percentage of land
cleared (red) for agricultural
purposes between 1972 and
1996.
The smaller map on the right
shows the percentage of
cleared land for different
regions of Kavango in 1972
(black) and 1996 (red).
This map indicates
the six main land
use activities and
the areas in which
they occur.
This map shows areas within 5 kilometers of health facilities
compared with the density of people.
This map shows the distribution and size of schools offering primary grades and
secondary grades, and combined schools that offer both primary and secondary grades.
This graph shows the
growth of the population in the
Kavango region between 1951
and 1999 and indicates a projected
growth of the population up to
the year 2020.
This graph shows the
number of male and female
learners in Grades 1 – 12 in 1999.
Pressure on natural resources
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Human population
Livestock densities
Cultivation
Fishing pressure
Clearing of riparian vegetation
Basin-wide Stakeholder Meeting
 Held in Maun in October 2001
 Brought together community representatives from
Botswana and Namibia
 Compared survey results – commonalities and
differences
 Further developed shared understanding of
resources in the basin
 Shared understanding of issues, aspirations and
problems
 Mapped first steps for the way ahead  action
planning
 Institutional arrangements  Basin-wide
Committee
The Future
* Capacity –building
Local level
DELEGATES (Botswana & Namibia) chosen for basin-wide forum
•Information on OKACOM and issues
•Mechanisms for two-way communication with OKACOM
•Institutional management and consensus building
•Communication and accountability to constituents (communities)
LINKS between different layers of decision-making
•Local levels, within country at district / regional level
•National and basin-wide
•Across sectors of stakeholders, farmers, fisher people, craft,
tourism, government, private sector etc.
•Roles and responsibilities
* Information
 Feedback to communities
 Exchanges between local residents and scientists on key issues
 Understanding of river basin functioning as an ecosystem
 Policy environment
 Development of income generating options
* Pilot initiatives in testing a few key solutions and community
initiatives
* Basin-wide Profile as a baseline planning tool
* Basin-wide Natural Resource Accounts as a planning and
options tool
For more information please visit our web site
http://www.everyriver.org