One of the transboundary areas in southern Africa with
the greatest potential for both conservation and economic
growth is that around the Caprivi Strip in Namibia, bordering
onto northern Botswana, western Zimbabwe and southern Zambia
- with the potential to link to south-eastern Angola once
the political situation in that country has been resolved
- the so-called "4-corners" trans-boundary natural resource
management (TBNRM) area. This area is rich in national parks,
community based natural resource management (CBNRM) initiatives,
biological diversity (including charismatic mega-fauna and
high value wildlife species) and tourism potential. Some
work in this regard, particularly between Botswana and Namibia,
has shown great promise for future collaboration, especially
when driven from within the respective countries on a cooperative
basis.
Many of the more endangered and high value species in Namibia
occur in the woodland and wetland biomes of the Caprivi
area. These species are not confined to Namibia, but consist
of populations shared with neighbouring countries, particularly
Botswana and Zambia, and to a lesser extent Zimbabwe and
Angola. The management of these shared populations, for
both ecological and economic returns, will remain sub-optimal
as long as they are managed at the national and local levels
only. There is a SADC Protocol on transboundary wildlife
management, signed by the core partner countries, thereby
creating an enabling environment for cooperation and collaboration
(SADC 1999). Concurrently with this Protocol, Namibia's
Cabinet approved a nature-based economic development approach
for the Caprivi region, including transboundary collaboration
with neighbouring states. Although the international borders
between Namibia and neighbouring countries are unfenced,
the presence of veterinary control fences does limit the
migration of wildlife and leads to the isolation of small
populations (Singh 1999, Martin 2002). Maintaining linkages
between sub-populations and associated veterinary implications
have, amongst others, been identified as transboundary management
issues. There are currently four main local management regimes
in place to manage wildlife in the north-east of Namibia:
- Mnagement within protected areas
There are four parks in the target area:
- Kaudum
- BwaBwata (consisting of the formed Mahango and West
Caprivi Parks)
- Mudumu
- Mamili.
Parks are managed by park staff of the Ministry of Environment
and Tourism (MET).
- Open communal lands, covering the regions of north-eastern
Otjozondjupa, Kavango and Caprivi, which are managed by
regional staff of the MET.
- Freehold farms are under individual land ownership,
where farmers have conditional ownership over huntable
game.
- Registered and emerging conservancies on communal land.
Here wildlife is managed by local conservancy committees
with the aid of community game guards and resource monitors,
and supported by non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
and MET staff.
