19 May 2019

Tourism operators in the Okavango Delta have been urged to play an active role in protecting and maintaining the beauty and status of the country’s pristine resource and world heritage, the Okavango Delta. 

The delta which has been listed as the World Heritage Site due to its outstanding beauty, is home to some of the world’s most endangered species and it also supports the livelihoods of the local communities as most depend on its resources for survival.

Agricultural Resource board chairperson, Mr John Benn said at the just-ended three-day conference on fire management that it was high time tourism operators in the delta were engaged, including traditional leaders, the community and government in the protection of the delta, especially where fire management issues were concerned.

He said tourism operators in the delta were making millions, but they were not contributing towards the protection of the delta during fire outbreaks.

Mr Benn noted that the communities had been struggling to manage fire outbreaks alone while operators had become spectators.   

“These people are benefiting a lot from our resource and they do not respond well when there is a fire, which eventually destroys our pristine source. It is high time they come on board and protect our forest,” he added.

He called on relevant authorities to look into the matter and ensure operators played their part in the protection of the delta, which he said was the only resource the community prides themselves with.

Mr Benn proposed that relevant authorities could have a clause in their lease and license regulations that called operators to play an active role in fire-fighting as the delta had a commercial value.

Furthermore, he noted that the communities were eager to conserve their natural resources for the future generation. 

He also stressed the importance of using indigenous knowledge in fire management.

“We love our natural resources and we want to use them sustainably for the benefit of the new generation,” said Mr Benn, who is also a conservationist.

Chief forestry and range resource officer, Mr Gabagomotse Mafoko shared the 2019/20 fire season preparedness and recommendations from the 6^th National Fire Management Conference held at Kasane in 2017.

He explained that the Department of Forestry and Range Resources was mandated to manage the wildland fire to reduce risks and damage caused since fire cannot be eradicated, hence preparedness strategy in place.

He said they had developed districts Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Management plans and Annual Operation Plans, which set out strategies on how fires would be managed in the districts, adding that the annual operation plans were reviewed yearly.

Districts which have the fire strategies include Chobe, North West, Ghanzi and Kweneng and it was reported that Central and Kgalagadi strategy formulations were ongoing.

Mr Mafoko said the districts used the strategies as management tools. 

He also revealed that they had signed a three-year contract with private companies to maintain firebreaks. ENDS