During a workshop in Kasane, Botswana, in 2002, representatives
of the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism and
the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks identified
the following areas of potential co-operation and collaboration
between Botswana and Namibia:
Maintaining linkages between buffalo
populations and compatible land use
Botswana's buffalo population is of the order of 100,000
animals and is one of the largest in Africa - exceeded only
by Tanzania's population of about 300,000 buffalo. Namibia
stands to be the greater beneficiary from co-operation with
Botswana on management issues than vice-versa. Namibia's
primary conservation objective is to avoid fragmentation
of its present buffalo population and certain spatial
linkages with Botswana are the key to achieving this. A
second conservation and economic objective is to increase
buffalo numbers in the Caprivi and here, too, the large
reservoir of buffalo in northern Botswana could accelerate
this process.
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Figure 12: The present distribution of buffalo n
the region
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The question of the scale at which buffalo populations
should be managed is an important one. So far it has not
been possible to identify discrete subpopulations of buffalo
and, therefore, the scale under consideration at the outset
of this collaborative process must embrace the full northern
Botswana buffalo population and all of the animals in the
Caprivi (Figure
12). Later it may be possible to refine management to
specific subpopulations. This gives a very strong incentive
for collaboration - the buffalo range transcends that of
individual State protected areas and community based conservation
areas and, therefore, to manage it at the right scale requires
institutions
which are capable of seeing the problem over a very large
area (some 170,000km2).
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Range expansion and veterinary implications
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Figure 10: The location of veterinary fences
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The combination
of veterinary control measures and unplanned settlement
perhaps pose the greatest threat to buffalo in the project
area. The trend in Namibia towards isolated subpopulations
in Caprivi is of concern. Scott-Wilson (2000) put forward
four options to mitigate the effects of veterinary fences
in northern Botswana. In October no decision had yet been
taken on these options and a new alternative solution might
be pursued (Jan Broekhuis, pers. comm.).
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Illegal Hunting
Levels of illegal
hunting in Caprivi are higher than in northern Bostwana
and, ultimately, if these cannot be contained could have
a deleterious effect not only on Namibia's resident buffalo
population but also on the larger population of Bostwana.
There may be collaborative measures that could assist in
reducing illegal hunting of buffalo.
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Interaction between buffalo
and other species
It is possible that
the large elephant population in the project area (more
than 100,000 animals) impacts on buffalo . Elephant
management is a high-level issue on which technical collaboration
is essential.
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Fire Control
The Caprivi suffers from an excessive burning regime every
year. Whilst few of these fires originate from Botswana,
this may be an area where co-operative effort would result
in a reduction in the number and extent of fires.
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Population Estimates and Monitoring
The inadequacy
of present air survey techniques for counting buffalo
is reflected in the variability and high confidence limits
of both the Botswana and Namibian population estimates.
Survey methods
need to be improved to be better suited to the manner
in which buffalo are dispersed.
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Hunting Quotas
It is possible that both Namibia and Botswana could affect
each other's safari hunting industry through the use of
excessive hunting
quotas. This is an area of liaison which would require
little effort and could produce significant economic gains.
In the areas on either side of the international border
where hunting is taking place from what may be the same
herds, there is good case for developing local institutions
at the appropriate scale which would enable the proceeds
from an overall quota to be shared proportionally amongst
the participating conservancies and community areas.
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Institutional Collaboration
The entiretry of issues involved in improving the status
of buffalo in the region through better management goes
well beyond the conventional mandate of the respective wildlife
departements of the single countries. Dialogue between ministeries
within each country is required and Governments and communities
need to create the appropriate national level forums to
take the issue forward to an international level. Martin
(2002) has put forward a
notional institution for Botswana-Namibia management of
shared wildlife species populations.
