20 Jul 2016

The United States (US) embassy has sponsored a project dubbed Environment Policy Implementation Review.

The project would identify, categorise and gauge the capacity of civil societies in the Okavango Delta.

The year long P1 million project would be spearheaded by the Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (NCONGO) and other partners.

The project would determine the ability of environmental NGOs and community-based organisations to promote transparent, sustainable management and oversight of the delta.

Current policies and procedures will also be reviewed. The project would be implemented by a team of experts from various institutions and it is expected to be completed by July 2017.

In an interview, the executive director of NCONGO, Mr Monametsi Sokwe, explained that they came up with the project because they realised that Ngamiland was rich in natural resources and yet the communities were poor.

“We believe it is because of the conflicting policies in place,” he said, adding that the project would help them to know who was doing what in the delta and what policies were in place.

He also stated that the project was a flagship programme to US as they could know where to channel their resources.

Mr Sokwe said at the end of the project they would create a data base and come up with policies and legislations that focus on community development.

The US ambassador, Mr Earl Miller, said his government was proud to have partnered with local organisations and Botswana to preserve the country’s environmental heritage and the national treasure, the Okavango Delta.

He said USAID was at the forefront of community-based natural resources management in Botswana in the 1990s and continued to work in the delta today.

“I am pleased to stand with our partner NCONGO along with other organizations that have agreed to be part of this undertaking. Together we hope to produce a comprehensive map of capacity in the region that will inform decisions and future programming for years to come,” he added.

Mr Miller said US government had invested more than US$40 million on conservation, watershed and resource management in the region, adding that the delta was an area of global significance and value and its preservation was an important part of Botswana’s future.

He said the delta was one of Africa’s most ecologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystem and one of the continent’s premier travel destinations.

He said its natural resources supported the traditional livelihoods of local communities while ecotourism was a critical pillar of the national economy.

Professor Joseph Mbaiwa from Okavango Research Institute (ORI) said in 1997 the delta became the Ramsar site and in 2014 it was declared the World Heritage Site which means it has to be conserved as it is recognized internationally.

He said the delta was an environment with human beings which meant their livelihoods should be taken into consideration.

He noted that a research carried at ORI had proved that when a community benefitted from natural resources surrounding it, they are obliged to conserve it.

Prof Mbaiwa revealed that currently there were many competing interest groups in the delta; hence there was need for strong policies that would assist to harmonize them.

He also pointed out that the poverty rate was high in the delta despite the rich natural resources, adding that may be it was because the policies were not adequate enough to promote the livelihood of the communities. ENDS