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Aerial census of the wetlands of the Caprivi
The Caprivi is defined by its wetlands, the large tropical river systems of the Okavango, Kwandu-Linyanti and Zambezi-Chobe. These river systems all have associated floodplains. Some are permanent or semipermanent, other are highly ephemeral. Together, they create a huge and dynamic wetlands system spreading into neighbouring countries and, in years of high floods, becoming interconnected. In Namibia alone, these wetlands covered over 470,000 hectares during the high floods of 2009.
The Caprivi wetlands define not only the landscape and hydrology of the area, but also the region's biodiversity, land uses and people's livelihoods. The Caprivi is the region with the richest biodiversity in Namibia. It has more species of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and fresh water fish than elsewhere in the country. Because of its higher rainfall and diversity of ecosystems, it also has the highest carrying capacity for wildlife.
In the past, because of unfavourable policies and military conflicts, wildlife numbers were severely depleted in the Caprivi. Today the area is undergoing a biodiversity renaissance. Namibia's CBNRM / Conservancy policy has created strong incentives for rural communities to protect their wildlife and natural resources. This, in combination with a growing tourism sector in Namibia, has resulted in growing economic opportunities for rural people to embark upon and benefit from wildlife and tourism-related enterprises. There are currently 10 conservancies and five community forests gazetted in the Caprivi and one community trust, with a number of new conservancies and community forests emerging. There are also a number of collaborative co-managed landscape initiatives, involving conservancies, national parks, community and state forests and private sector operators. All these initiatives have led to strong conservation measures being implemented within a partnership of community, private sector, NGO and state (Ministry of Environment & Tourism and the Forestry Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry) players working closely together.
One of the areas of collaboration has been on the monitoring of wildlife numbers. Different methods are used including fixed foot patrols, boat patrols and aerial surveys. A complete count of all the wetland areas of the Caprivi has now been carried out on three occasions – in August 2004, September 2007 and September 2009. These counts give us good information on wildlife trends, and reflect how effective the conservation measures have been (see table below of selected species).
| Species | 2004 | 2007 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 3,262 | 5,951 | 9,633 |
| Elephant | 860 | 3,062 | 3,450 |
| Hippopotamus | 1,387 | 1,269 | 1,291 |
| Impala | 742 | 1,361 | 1,457 |
| Kudu | 98 | 234 | 171 |
| Lechwe | 738 | 767 | 777 |
| Reedbuck | 76 | 162 | 105 |
| Sitatunga | 2 | 7 | 19 |
| Waterbuck | 60 | 30 | 130 |
| Wildebeest | 6 | 35 | 64 |
| Zebra | 1,084 | 1,653 | 1,689 |
| Lion | 4 | 10 | 24 |
| Wattled Crane | 8 | 24 | 41 |
Keep in mind that these counts cover just the wetland systems of the Caprivi, which in turn make up about 20% of the area of Caprivi. It is clear from the counts that wildlife numbers are stable or increasing dramatically, as in the case of Buffalo, Impala and Waterbuck. The last two species have been aided by some reintroductions by the Ministry of Environment & Tourism in response to the very favourable conservation environment in the Caprivi. Of concern are the floodplain ungulates, specifically Lechwe and Reedbuck. These species occurred in vast numbers in the Caprivi in the past, and their present recovery is slow. First, the figures for 2009 may be on the low side because of the exceptional floods this year and possible dispersal of animals. But that apart, the animals are at very low density, scattered in small numbers and confined to their wetland floodplains. They are therefore vulnerable to predation, and even a very low level of poaching is enough to prevent the population growing. Special monitoring and protection is needed for these species until they break through the barrier of small starter population constraints. A reintroduction of Lechwe would significantly assist, but we have no spare animals in Namibia, and this would involve us sourcing them from Zambia or Botswana, something the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is currently exploring.
In conclusion, the aerial game counts of the wetland systems of the Caprivi, carried out every second or third year, provide valuable information on wildlife trends in the area, show us that the CBNRM / Conservancy approach is really producing good conservation results, which are in turn providing economic returns to rural communities, and help us pinpoint species that need special attention and protection. This survey work reflects a partnership between NNF, the Ministry of Environment & Tourism (and their ICEMA project), WWF, Conservancies and private sector partners.
[December 2009]