Wageningen Environmental Research The mission of Wageningen University and Research is “To explore the potential P.O. Box 47 of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University Chobe District Integrated Land Use Plan 6700 AB Wageningen & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of The Netherlands the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to T +31 (0) 317 48 07 00 inding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living www.wur.eu/environmental-research environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 5,000 employees and 10,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. Report 2813 The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and ISSN 1566-7197 the collaboration between diff erent disciplines. Theo van der Sluis, Lin Cassidy, Chris Brooks, Piotr Wolski, Cornelis VanderPost, Piet Wit, Rene Henkens, Michiel van Eupen, Keta Mosepele, Oggie Maruapula, Elmar Veenendaal Chobe District Integrated Land Use Plan Theo van der Sluis1, Lin Cassidy2, Chris Brooks2, Piotr Wolski2, Cornelis VanderPost2, Piet Wit2, Rene Henkens1, Michiel van Eupen1, Keta Mosepele4, Oggie Maruapula2, Elmar Veenendaal3 1 Wageningen Environmental Research (Alterra) 2 Independent consultant 3 Wageningen University & Research 4 ORI This research is funded by UNDP, Contract nr. PR005/2016. Wageningen Environmental Research Wageningen, July 2017 Report 2813 ISSN 1566-7197 Theo van der Sluis, Lin Cassidy, Chris Brooks, Piotr Wolski, Cornelis VanderPost, Piet Wit, Rene Henkens, Michiel van Eupen, Keta Mosepele, Oggie Maruapula, Elmar Veenendaal, 2017. Chobe District Integrated Land Use Plan. Wageningen, Wageningen Environmental Research, Report 2813. 182 pp.; 70 fig.; 22 tab.; 275 ref. Keywords: Sustainable Land Use, Planning, CBNRM, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Tourism, Savanna Ecosystems, Sociology, Zambezi The pdf file is free of charge and can be downloaded at https://doi.org/10.18174/419817 or via the website www.wur.nl/environmental-research (scroll down to Publications – Wageningen Environmental Research reports). Wageningen Environmental Research does not deliver printed versions of the Wageningen Environmental Research reports. All maps prepared by WEnR are digitally available in High Resolution at the following site: https://doi.org/10.18174/420002 Most literature sources (‘grey’ literature’) are accessible at the library website: https://library.wur.nl/ojs/index.php/Botswana_documents/index 2017 Wageningen Environmental Research (an institute under the auspices of the Stichting Wageningen Research), P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands, T +31 (0)317 48 07 00, E [email protected], www.wur.nl/environmental-research. Wageningen Environmental Research is part of Wageningen University & Research. • Acquisition, duplication and transmission of this publication is permitted with clear acknowledgement of the source. • Acquisition, duplication and transmission is not permitted for commercial purposes and/or monetary gain. • Acquisition, duplication and transmission is not permitted of any parts of this publication for which the copyrights clearly rest with other parties and/or are reserved. Wageningen Environmental Research assumes no liability for any losses resulting from the use of the research results or recommendations in this report. Wageningen Environmental Research Report 2813 | ISSN 1566-7197 Photo cover: Theo van der Sluis; Other pictures Elmar Veenendaal, Theo van der Sluis, Rene Henkens etc. Contents List of abbreviations 7 Executive summary 9 1 Introduction 17 1.1 Aims for ILUP 18 1.2 General expectations 18 1.3 Principles for approach and plan 20 1.4 Approach and methodology 22 1.5 Stakeholder Engagement 22 1.6 Framework plan, relations with sub-district-plans 23 1.7 Relevant legislation 23 1.8 Outline Integrated Land Use Plan 24 1.9 Acknowledgements 24 2 Land use types and Land Suitability 25 2.1 Definition of land use types 25 2.2 Suitability for Agriculture 27 2.2.1 Arable farming 27 2.2.2 Livestock grazing 29 2.3 Suitability for Tourism 30 2.4 Suitability for Forestry 32 2.5 Overall land suitability assessment 32 2.6 Key findings 33 3 Integrated Land Use Plan 34 3.1 Introduction 34 3.2 Key findings 53 4 Implementation Framework 54 4.1 Institutional set-up 54 4.2 Review period 56 4.3 Community consultations 56 5 Chobe District, environment 57 5.1 Administrative boundaries Chobe District 57 5.2 Soils 58 5.3 Climate 59 5.4 Water 64 5.5 Land Tenure 69 5.6 Current plan development in Chobe 71 5.7 Key findings 72 6 Biodiversity and Conservation 74 6.1 Protected areas 74 6.2 International context, KAZA region 75 6.2.1 The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area 75 6.2.2 KAZA TFCA Governance 77 6.3 International conventions and agreements 77 6.3.1 UN conventions 77 6.3.2 Non-UN multilateral agreements of special relevance to Chobe District 78 6.3.3 Agreements on international waters covering Chobe District 79 6.4 Regional Cooperation 79 6.5 Ecoregions 80 6.6 Forests and vegetation cover 81 6.6.1 Historical vegetation cover trends 81 6.6.2 Current vegetation types and tree cover 82 6.7 Wildlife 83 6.7.1 Connected wildlife populations 83 6.7.2 Diversity and Status of Wildlife in Chobe District 83 6.8 Key findings 87 7 Socio-economic conditions 88 7.1 Socio-economic conditions and societal needs 88 7.1.1 Demographics 88 7.1.2 Education 89 7.1.3 Livelihoods, Employment 90 7.1.4 Societal needs 93 7.2 Tribal situation 94 7.3 Settlements 95 7.4 Kasane and Kazungula Township 97 7.5 Traditional natural resource use 97 7.6 CBOs and CBNRM 99 7.7 Poverty 100 7.8 Key findings 101 8 Land use 102 8.1 Agriculture 102 8.1.1 Smallholder arable farming 102 8.1.2 Livestock 103 8.1.3 Irrigated farming 104 8.1.4 Commercial farming 104 8.1.5 Horticulture 104 8.1.6 Fish farming 105 8.2 Forestry 105 8.3 Wildlife 106 8.3.1 Distribution of Wildlife across Chobe District 106 8.3.2 Corridors 110 8.3.3 Hunting 111 8.3.4 Illegal wildlife off-take 111 8.3.5 Elephant Impact on Vegetation 113 8.4 Fisheries 113 8.5 Tourism 115 8.5.1 Tourism-use depending the season and time of day 115 8.5.2 Tourism-use depending spatial factors 115 8.6 Infrastructure 118 8.7 Mining 118 8.8 Key findings 119 9 Environmental pressures and risks 120 9.1 Key pressures 120 9.2 Changing environment 122 9.2.1 Changes and risks arising due to human activities within the District 122 9.2.2 Climate or hydrology-related changes 123 9.2.3 Overgrazing 125 9.2.4 Wild Fires 125 9.3 Urban sprawl 126 9.4 Environmental pollution 129 9.5 Human-wildlife conflict 130 9.5.1 Livestock predation 130 9.5.2 Crop damage due to wildlife 130 9.5.3 Approaches to deal with human-wildlife conflict 132 9.6 Key findings 133 10 Development aspects 134 10.1 Agriculture 134 10.1.1 Intensification and increased value of produce 134 10.1.2 Agricultural support and integration 134 10.1.3 Commercial farms development 135 10.1.4 Agricultural Co-existence 136 10.1.5 Cluster fencing 136 10.2 Tourism development 137 10.2.1 Tourism target groups 137 10.2.2 Sustainable tourism development principles 139 10.2.3 Visitor management 140 10.2.4 Training, education, awareness raising 140 10.2.5 Community based tourism 141 10.3 Forestry development 141 10.3.1 Collecting firewood and veld products 141 10.3.2 Fire management 141 10.4 Wildlife Management 142 10.4.1 National Park Zoning 142 10.4.2 National Park rates and revenues 142 10.4.3 Human-Wildlife Conflict 143 10.4.4 Illegal wildlife off-take 145 10.4.5 Corridors 145 10.4.6 Fisheries 145 10.5 Water Resources 146 10.5.1 Water resources availability 146 10.5.2 Water supply infrastructure and institutional context 147 10.5.3 Large scale water transfers and the broader context of water demand (Botswana and Zambezi basin) 147 10.5.4 Boreholes for wildlife 148 10.6 Township and village development 148 10.6.1 Green development of Kasane-Kazungula Township 148 10.6.2 Township expansion and degazettement of Forest Reserve 149 10.6.3 Development of villages and rural settlements 149 10.7 International cooperation 150 10.8 CBNRM 151 10.8.1 CBOs 151 10.8.2 Joint Venture Partnerships 152 10.9 Poverty alleviation and economic development 152 10.10 Key findings 153 11 Information gaps & research 155 References 156 Annex 1 Community Consultations 167 Annex 2 Consulted people and Organisations 170 Annex 3 Wildlife Distribution Maps 171 Annex 4 Wildlife Corridors 175 List of abbreviations BMC Botswana Meat Corporation BOGA Botswana Guides Association BTO Botswana Tourism Organisation CBNRM Community Based Natural Resources Management CBD Convention on Biodiversity CBO Community Based Organisation CDC Chobe District Council CECT Chobe Enclave Community Trust CHA Controlled Hunting Area CKL Chobe-Kwando-Linyanti (matrix of areas) CLB Chobe Land Board CNP Chobe National Park DCP Department of Crop Production DLUPU District Land Use Planning Unit DTRP Department of Town and Regional Planning DWNP Department of Wildlife and National Parks (under MEWP) EWB Elephants Without Boarders FMD Foot and Mouth Disease FPA Fish Protection Area FR Forest Reserve GIS Geographical Information System GoB Government of Botswana HATAB Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana HWC Human-Wildlife Conflict IBA Important Bird Areas ILUP Integrated Land Use Plan ITCZ Inter Tropical Convergence Zone JVP Joint Venture Partnership KALEPA Kazungula, Lesoma and Pandamatenga Management Trust KAZA Kavango - Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area KCS Kalahari Conservation Society LAC Limits of Acceptable Change LSU Livestock Unit MEWT Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism MoA Ministry of Agriculture NAMPAADD National Master Plan for the Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development NCS National Conservation Strategy ORI Okavango Research Institute PAC Problem Animal Control RS Remote Sensing SAREP Southern Africa Regional Environmental Program SADC Southern African Development Community TFCA TransFrontier Conservation Area ToR Terms of Reference TFP TransFrontier Park UB University of Botswana UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program WMA Wildlife Management Area WUR Wageningen University and Research (umbrella org.