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

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Death of wildlife and domestic stock, including animals burnt to death along
veterinary fences while trying to escape (several thousand animals are
burnt to death along fences throughout Botswana each winter or dry
season);
Disruption of natural migration patterns;
Habitat loss - Animals flee burnt areas and overcrowd unburned areas,
resulting in unhealthy competition, reduced breeding rates, overgrazing,
etc.;
Exposure of floodplains and subsequent increase in evapo-transpiration
rates;
Soil composition change;
Sheet erosion;
7.2.1.2 Fences
Ash poisoning leading to 'dead-water' and possibly fish die-off; and
Loss of human life and property (OPWT, 1998).
Ill-placed veterinary fences, constructed without environmental or social impact
assessments continue to trap and kill significant numbers of wildlife. Fragmentation,
obstruction of vital territorial and migratory movements, loss of access to critical
resources, among other impacts, causes severe stress, increasing death rates and
decreasing birth rates. Irreversible population declines have occurred and appear to
be ongoing (OPWT, 1998).
Severe declines in the number of roan antelope, eland, wildebeest and giraffe have
been observed recently along newly constructed fences in the Ngamiland District.
Continued impacts threaten the demise of the remaining wildlife populations to the
west and north of the Okavango Delta (OPWT, 1998).
7.2.1.3 Cattle Ranching
Plans to develop private, commercial cattle ranches to the west and north of the
Delta are a threat to wildlife populations. Such developments will further fragment
habitats, block migration routes, displace local communities and generally lead to
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