the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

fifteen year period. The community-based organisation then has three options
available for the use of their area of land and wildlife quota. Firstly, they can manage
the area of land themselves and develop a community-based tourism venture;
secondly, they can sub-lease the land and resource rights (wildlife quota for
concession areas) to a safari operator at a fee; or lastly, they can enter into a joint
venture agreement partnership with a safari company/operator, where the
community-based organisation provides the area of land, and the safari operator
provides the expertise and management skills needed to develop and run a
successful tourism/commercial hunting venture. In the Delta, joint-venture
partnerships have proven to be relatively successful, particularly in cases where the
safari operator establishes the tourist infrastructure on the community land, while the
local community provides opportunities for the tourists such as mekoro trips through
the Delta and unique cultural experiences in the community's village, etc. However,
a general lack of expertise and the necessary capital to invest in tourism activities by
the community-based organisations have so far resulted in the sub-leasing of areas
to safari companies by most of the community-based organisations in the Delta.
Both the fifteen year and fifty year lease contracts incorporate laws, provisions and
regulations controlling land and resource use and provisions and regulations for the
building of tourist facilities, etc. These regulations are enforced by the Tawana Land
Board.
Firstly, prior to any development by the land holder or lessee, an EIA must be
carried out and all proposed developments approved. There are generally very few
regulations controlling the use of building materials in the Okavango Delta, except
that no developments may detach from, and all structures must fit in with, and
contribute to, the aesthetic value of the area. As such, most tourist facilities in the
Delta must have thatched roofs, and many are constructed out of indigenous wood
and reeds or make use of the existing natural vegetation such as the incorporation
of existing tree trunks into structures, etc. Materials such as corrugated iron sheeting
or plastic may not be used for construction of tourist facilities on Tawana Land Board
land. All tourist facilities must also have efficient, environmentally safe waste­
management and rubbish disposal systems which the Land Board provides
guidelines for. The 15-year lease contracts for concession areas also contain laws
and conditions controlling the use of the areas land, resources and wildlife. As such,
204