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

iverine systems. According to Tacheba (2002), the specific causes of fires in the
Okavango Delta include:
• Local people in settlements along the river tributaries have a tendency to
burn vegetation every year before flooding. This is done to aid the flow of
the floodwater (removing plant material blocking channels), and because of
superstition which assumes that if the channels and swamps are burnt,
there is a higher fish yield during the flood season;
• Tourist operators and commercial hunting operators burn the floodplains in
their vicinity to encourage the growth of new grass and attract wildlife into
the area; and
• Molapo or floodplain farmers use fires to remove the dry remains from the
previous growing season.
The destructive nature of fires, with regards to human property, has also been noted
in the Okavango Delta. Both Oddballs and Chitabe Camp have previously been
destroyed by fires in 2000 and 2002, respectively, which resulted in significant
economic losses. According to Mbaiwa (2002), there are currently no serious
measures put in place by the government to combat fires in the Okavango Delta.
8.3.2.6 Expansion of Illegal Settlements
The growth of tourism in the Okavango Delta is associated with the development of
illegal settlements in the area. Thabazimbi, located in the central Delta is an
example of an illegal squatter settlement that has developed due to the influence of
tourism. The settlement was established in 1983, and has an estimated population
of approximately 150 to 200 people. The settlement was developed by local
inhabitants employed as polers in Gunns Camp who were not provided with
accommodation (many of these polers freelanced with other camps as well). Today,
residents of Thabazimbi come from various villages throughout the Delta area.
According to Mbaiwa (2002), Thabazimbi's population has increased recently as
more people are coming into the area to find employment in the nearby tourism
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