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

camps. However, the population of this settlement was not included in the 1991 or
2001 Population and Housing Census, and hence are not reflected in the country's
population statistics (Mbaiwa, 2002).
As most illegal settlements in the Okavango Delta are not gazetted, there are a
number of problems associated with them. Firstly, most of these settlements have
no proper waste management systems (including toilets). Both solid and liquid waste
is generally just disposed of in the surrounding environment, leading to problems
with littering and the contamination and pollution of water sources. The presence of
illegal settlements in sensitive areas such as the Okavango Delta leads to the
degradation of the surrounding environment. Many of the inhabitants of such
settlements bring livestock into the area, destroy the vegetation surrounding the
settlement through the clearing of land for subsistence agricultural practices, the
overutilisation of wood and other plant resources and over-grazing by their livestock.
8.3.2.7 Waste Management and Water Resources in Maun
According to personal interviews conducted with Sola, Chilume and Mbaiwa
between 2002 and 2004, the current waste management and water resource
infrastructure in Maun is not sufficient to cope with the large number of people living
in the area. Environmental conservation groups in Botswana, such as the Kalahari
Conservation Society and Tshomarelo Tikolgo (Environmental Watch Botswana)
have established a committee composed of environmental and sanitation experts to
assess environmental and health aspects in each village in Botswana. According to
the report by this committee, in 1999 Maun was declared the dirtiest Village/town in
Botswana. Even though Maun is regarded in tourist circles as being the 'gateway to
the Okavango Delta' and the tourism capital of Botswana, the town has severe solid
waste disposal problems in the form of litter.
Litter in Maun poses health risks, detracts from the town's aesthetic value - which is
of significance to the tourism industry, and degrades the environment. A shortage of
labour and resources has been blamed for the failure of the local town council to
effectively manage the disposal of waste in the town. However, a lack of
environmental awareness on the part of Maun residents, and a failure to effectively
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