The renowned Chobe National Park’s Chobe River Front, known for its rich wildlife diversity faces its worst threat ever, – environmental degradation due to the high demand for tourism activities at these most sought after destination which has metamorphosed into an unprecedented state of congestion.
The high demand for the Chobe River Front, has led to congestion of vehicles at sightings leading to the distraction and disturbance of wildlife both on land and water, and has continued unabated over the years. The irony of it all, is that it is the tourism activities that threaten the existence of the very product that supports the sector.
While the issue has been a hot potato for some time – of recent it appears to have surged for the worst – with scenes shared on socials and the internet showing what has been only been experienced in East Africa, raising fears that without proper monitoring and law enforcement Chobe River Front may be decimated.
Various stakeholders, and studies have raised concern of this state of affairs – that something needed to be done urgently to save Chobe River Front through sound practises that would ensure environmental sustainability. Pundits have posited before that the implementation of the Chobe National Park Management Plan of 2021, coupled with the necessary law enforcement would release pressure on the Chobe River Front.
University of Botswana Professor Mbaiwa’s Unpublished Paper uses the concept of Shadow State to analyse the effects of the tourism juggernaut on the environmental sustainability of the Chobe River Front (CRF).
“Results indicate that the CRF is experiencing overcrowding of tourists’ vehicles and boat activities which not only reduces the aesthetic value of the CRF but also interferes with wildlife species. The Kasane-Kazungula Redevelopment Plan also threatens the CRF. The government also proposed the construction of eight lodges with a minimum of 50 beds and a maximum of 75 beds each along the CRF. This tourism Juggernaut threatens the environmental sustainability of the CRF. To conserve the CRF, tourism planners and managers need to adhere to the principles of sustainable tourism especially in tourism infrastructure and activities,” Mbaiwa’s Paper reveals.
Despite these daylight illegalities committed in the park, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks appears to be poorly resourced to deal with the situation. There have been concerns that the department does not have a single patrol vehicle to traverse the park and bring law and order.
Efforts have been made to solicit a comment from the department, but to no avail. So serious is the problem that all the units across the department are said to be affected – including the key ones of Problem animal control and anti-poaching unit.
But who are the culprits to these acts on the river front? – In random interviews an observation by Conservation Voices in the Park is that – self drives and mobile safaris account for the majority of these transgressions, and some fixed lodges from around Kasane.
“Vehicles and game drives contribute to congestion at the Chobe Riverfront. The proximity of the Chobe Riverfront to Kasane on the east and to Ngoma and the Chobe Enclave on the west results in a much higher proportion of day users. Game drives contribute to tourism congestion at the CRF. This congestion has its origins from around 2000 as tourism grew in Kasane and in the park,” Mbaiwa’s Unpublished paper reveals
The congestion on the Chobe river does not involve game drives and vehicles only, boat cruises in the river also contribute as Mbaiwa’s Paper reveals. It is also critical to note that some boat operators on cruises do not adhere to the regulations.
“The high number of boats on the Chobe River front indicates that the riverfront is congested and are often a disturbance to wildlife and birds’ species hence posing an environmental challenge to the riverfront.”
The paper further highlights that, The Chobe River is a significant tourist attraction and provides significant wildlife and birdlife viewing opportunities from motorboats of varying sizes.
“However, the movement of these boats is resulting in significant impacts upon the riverbank because of erosion from wake wash. This wake wash erosion results in the exposure of tree roots and ultimately the collapse of a significant number of large mature trees, including majestic knobthorns (Acacia nigrescens), due to undercutting of the riverbank. Additionally, this erosion is washing sediment into the river which exacerbates turbidity in the water and over time will contribute towards the silting up of the Chobe River.”
In an interesting turn of events, while the issue of congestion was hot on the table, with studies clearly stating that Chobe National Park could not take any developments of lodges of any other form, the DWNP announced proposed lodge 8 sites on the Chobe River Front.
This attracted a lot of media interest, and the industry, conservationists, environmentalists, researchers and academia raised an audible outcry. The fear was that government was adding injury to an already delicate issue – and this move was labelled as ‘killing the goose that lays the golden egg.’
The proposed sites, would see lodges with a maximum of 70 beds constructed in the area- and where to be 2 kilometres apart. It would appear this is where government lost focus on environmental sustainability.
The Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB), which has previously criticised any move to further congest the Chobe River Front is expected to address concerns that some of the operators involved in illegal activities in the park are their members.
An enquiry has been lodged with HATAB, to establish how the organisation ensured that while there are the unprecedented levels of congestions – their members adhere to regulations to ensure responsible and best practices by the operators.
