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

not treat the natural environment in ways that jeopardize the options of future
generations. This is demonstrated by the fact that, according to the 224 tourists
interviewed in the Okavango Delta, a total of 195 individuals, or 87 percent, stated
that the continued existence of the Okavango Delta, in its present state, was
important to them. Additionally, most tourists visit the Okavango purely for its
natural, unchanged, scenic and pristine wetland environment, and its wildlife
populations. As such, the utilisation of the Okavango system and its natural
resources in any way that threatens this natural, pristine element, would significantly
damage Botswana's tourism industry. Hence, tourism and its associated economic
benefits are important tools that can be used in ensuring the long-term protection of
the Okavango River Basin (Mendelsohn and el Obeid, 2004).
The first step in securing a future for the Okavango Basin is to enlarge the
Okavango's constituency of supporters. The Basin needs to mean more to many
more people. The range of benefits derived from the river's natural resources has to
be increased, and greater importance must be attached to areas upstream of the
Delta, for example through tourism. This is a particular challenge for Angola and
Namibia where the number of supporters of the river is small. By contrast, support
and acclaim for the Okavango is much greater in Botswana because of the
significant gains from the Delta through tourism, and as such the future of the Delta
itself is far more secure than the Okavango's upstream areas. However, even here
there is a need to broaden its support base. Progress has been achieved by
promoting community-based management and profit sharing from wildlife-based
tourism to bring benefits to rural people. Even so, they have little official or political
influence, and there is a challenge to involve wealthier, more influential Botswana
citizens. The greatest challenge, however, is to promote benefits derived from the
careful management and use of natural resources across a broad spectrum of
Angolan society (Mendelsohn and el Obeid, 2004).
Secondly, land in the Basin needs to be managed more effectively. Most land in the
Basin is now communal or tribal land, and hence no one owns the land or takes
responsibility for the resources it offers. Mechanisms and structures that enable
people to obtain long-term, tangible benefits from land are also lacking in most
places (Mendelsohn and el Obeid, 2004).
405