The Okavango Delta, which was declared one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa in 2013 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is facing multiple threats, amongst which is tourism, with the government looking set to freeze mobile tourism licences for the area.

Prof. Joseph Mbaiwa, acting deputy director of the Okavango Research Institute, told Tourism Update the problem was the lack of monitoring when it came to tourism activities in the Okavango Delta. “Rules and Regulations are available but government is failing to ensure monitoring. Reasons given include lack of resources, particularly equipment, trained personnel and funds to ensure that operators follow the rules. As a result, some of the tourism activities are environmentally damaging.”

Mbaiwa says the Okavango Delta is divided into seven ‘tourism’ zones as part of the Okavango Delta Management Plan of 2008. Each zone is earmarked for particular tourism activities. However, the zoning has not been strictly observed and this has affected the delta environment. “There is no doubt that some tourism activities are concentrated in particular areas (e.g. Xakanaxa in Moremi Game River, along the Boro River etc). This causes overcrowding of activities in those particular areas and it is not environmentally okay. Other parts of the Okavango Delta are not utilised.”

Meanwhile, the minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama, has reportedly reiterated his resolve to ‘freeze’ mobile tourism licences for the Okavango. He was quoted in the Botswana Newspaper, Mmegi, as saying that no new applicants for mobile safaris would obtain a licence to operate either in Chobe or the Okavango Delta, as these prime areas were already congested. Khama first mentioned that he would put a stop to new licences in 2013.