02 Mar 2014

Lake Ngami is part of the Okavango Delta, largely because it has a lot of fish and is a major birding area through which different species of birds migrate during the course of the year.

This was said by Mr Gothusang Gochane, a wildlife officer at the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, when updating stakeholders about the development of the lake recently.

“Though it is small, Lake Ngami forms part of the delta system due to its resources such as fish. It has been listed as a birding area or spot because of the migrating birds that pass through it,” he said.

He added that some camps in the delta use the lake as a tourist site because of its abundant bird species such as the Lesser Kestrel and the Black-winged Pratincole. Lake Ngami is situated in Sehithwa in northwestern Botswana, and the villagers use it as a source of income.

Mr Gochane said initially there were two community trusts that had expressed interest in running the lake, which were advised to merge and register as one entity called the Lake Ngami Development Trust.

“The trust has been registered and it developed a management plan which was approved by Tawana Land Board in 2013. The trust will profile all the resources at the lake and ensure sustainability,” said Mr Gochane.

He also revealed that the lake is currently facing challenges of pollution as it became untidy during the opening season for fishing. As a result, a law enforcement committee was formed comprising of different department representatives to ensure compliance with environmental rules and regulation. ENDS