Conservation Tourism Through Strengthened Partnerships Demonstration Project

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with finance from Global Environmental Facility (GEF), is providing technical and financial support to OKACOM through the “Support to the Implementation of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin Strateic Action Programme”. A key component of this project is the demonstration of environmentally conscious livelihoods and socio-economic development in the Basin. Selected demonstration projects advocate for uplifting of livelihoods of basin communities by improving socio-economic through harnessing natural resources in manner that will minimum adverse impacts to and enhanced protection of the basin ecosystem.

In Namibia, the Demonstration Projects focus on conservation tourism through strengthened partnerships and Improving conservation and sustainable use of shared fish resources through co-management. In 2008 the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) of Namibia awarded a tourism concession to the concessionaires comprising of Muduva Nyangana Conservancy, George Mukoya Conservancy and Gciriku Traditional Authority. One of the concessions awarded, the Sikerete, is dedicated to conservation tourism development inside the Khaudum National Park which falls within the Cubango-Okanago River Basin.

The concession offers an opportunity to demonstrate a model that strengthens conservation and socio-economic development objectives through a partnership approach which involves national park, conservancies, communities and the private sector. MET, in partnership with OKACOM, is facilitating the construction of eight tented guest rooms (with 16 bed occupancy), establishment of nine camping sites with 36 campers’ capacity. In addition, the project will rehabilitate three conventional chamber septic tanks and four camping ablution facilities at the Sikerete Tourism Campsite. One of the critical aspects the project needed to first address is water supply to the Sikerete Tourism campsite.

To date, the project has completed rehabilitation of a 6km elephant proof pipeline to supply water to the Sikerete Tourism Campsite. In addition, two 10,000 litres water tanks on a 4m steel tank stand have been erected at the tourism campsite, protected by an elephant ring trench to secure the infrastructure from elephants especially during the dry season. The next step of the demonstration project is to procure a local suitable service provider to construct tented guest rooms, camping sites, rehabilitate septic tanks and camping ablution facilities. Once completed, the Demonstration Project will enable the concessionaires (Muduva Nyangana Conservancy, George Mukoya Conservancy and Gciriku Traditional Authority) to operate a campsite to reap potential benefits through a structured management approach as a consultant will be engaged to develop a business plan.