- Yet, the department is implementing its decongestion strategy
The Chobe National Park, famous for being a prime wildlife management area, with a rich biodiversity and known for its unmatched wildlife base tourism activity, has of recent been on the spotlight for the all the wrong reasons – over crowing and congestion of tourism activity on its River Front.
In this section, we have previously laid bare some of the basic concerns from various stakeholders – and the threats that the park faces both ecologically and as a renowned tourism destination globally. This was based on reports that while the River Front faced decimation of its biodiversity, the relevant authorities, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) were perceived to be conspicuously inactive to deal with the situation.
This week, DWNP responded to queries on the issue that has had tour operators, environmental expects, media and academia alike raising a collective voice over the imminent obliteration of the goose that lay the golden egg, if not addressed.
Responding to the queries Regional Wildlife Officer – Chobe, Ernest Madimabe said there is currently no congestion of the Chobe National Park’s river front. While the unexpected response sounded strange, Conservation Voices made follow up to ascertain the stand of the department.
According to Madimabe, the department has a decongestion strategy, that is currently being implemented, and that was apparently the reasoning behind the position that there is no congestion on the river front.
As of recent tourism operators, tourists and other individuals visiting the Chobe National Park and Chobe River have raised over congestion of game drive vehicles to the extent that they took social media platforms posting visuals of such activities. Some were of the view that congestion of game drive vehicles has negative impacts such as blocking animal migration routes and disrupting the natural behaviour of wildlife.
The concern over the apparent lack of law enforcement in the park to ensure the anti-conservation practices were nabbed in the bud has also been palpable. This as acts of off road, disturbing wildlife behaviours and over speeding in the park have become a norm.
To this, Madimabe has noted that the department conducts routine law enforcement patrols in the Park to counter any lawlessness.
Contrary to his denial of congestion in the Park, Madimabe indicated that some of the interventions being implemented through the strategy to mitigate game drive vehicles crowding/congestion at hotspots include expansion of roads, picnics areas and camp sites.
According to Madimabe, crowding of vehicles at hotspots or sightings with the park does not equate to congestion as they would be drawn to the spot by interesting sighting at that particular moment. Madimabe has highlighted lion sightings as some of the activities that may attract crowding.
Regarding the numbers that visit the park, Madimabe revealed that during the peak season about ten thousand people visit the park per day along the riverfront.
While the department denies there is congestion in the park, reports continue of unsightly activities on the river front. This unabated wave of congestion and overcrowding on the stretch of the may have serious environment impact, if left unattended, atleast due some academic work that has been done on the congestion of the Chobe River Front. This as some argue the decongestion strategy, which was meant to ease the pressure on the River Front has not as achieved its intended goal.
All indications are that the issue of congestion on the Chobe river front dates from a while back.
A chapter on the book Wildlife Tourism, Environmental Learning and Ethical Encounters, published in June 2017 shares the details of a study done on Chobe. The Chapter, titled, Wildlife tourism safaris, vehicle decongestion routes and impact mitigation at Chobe National Park revealed that there were still, then issues of congestion during game drives particularly along the River bank route and at the CRF viewing site.
It stated that managerial implications include improving the use of Upper and Nogatshaa routes by providing better facilities and service to all types of visitors and tourists to make it appealing.
The study has recommended that the park management should consider devising a strategy to attempt to demarket the Chobe River Front route to reduce visitor pressure, vehicle congestion and alleviate negative impact on animals and associated resources of the CNP. According to the study, in order to mitigate crowding and vehicle congestion on the popular Chobe River Front route, the DWNP introduced and implemented Upper and Nogatshaa routes.
Its results revealed that the Chobe River Front of the CNP was heavily utilized by wildlife tourists, followed by the Upper route and the least used was Nogatshaa. The Chobe River Front route was the most preferred, while Nogatshaa is the least preferred route. The study revealed that there are benefits associated with the newly created vehicle decongestion routes at the CNP.
Observations were made to indicate that the two new routes have relatively relieved the Chobe River Front from tourist vehicle pressure; lessened the congestion of tourist vehicles particularly at animal sightings or encounters of predators (leopards, lions), have relatively relieved the Chobe River Front from tourist vehicle pressure; lessened the congestion of tourist vehicles particularly at animal sightings or encounters specifically predators (leopard, wild dogs, lions) and also creation of a few water points along the Upper and Nogatshaa routes appears to have contributed towards spreading of wild animals over a large area thereby alleviating competition for foraging and water and thereby reducing grassing pressure at the CRF.
Meanwhile, the purpose of the Wildlife Tourism, Environmental Learning and Ethical Encounters study was to assess wildlife tourists’ frequency of use and potential environmental impacts on the Chobe River Front, Nogatshaa and Upper routes of the Chobe National Park. Data were collected in June 2013.
Another unpublished paper by University of Botswana Professor Mbaiwa 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.
