Environment
Tourist access to Kunene restricted to protect threatened species

afrol.com, 3 October - The Namibian Cabinet authorised the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to restrict the movement of tourists in specific identified areas in the Kunene Region where tourist activities threaten the future existence of specially protected and endangered species, such as elephants and black rhinoceros. The Minister stated that the Kunene Region is world famous for its desert dwelling elephants and thousands of tourists visit Namibia annually to view these elephants in the harsh desert environment.

Cabinet, furthermore, approved that only Namibian tourist guides, registered by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism be allowed to operate in Namibia. 

Cabinet also mandated the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to investigate the proclamation of conservation areas adjacent to the Skeleton Coast Park to ensure the formal, long-term protection of unique species, such as desert dwelling elephants and black rhinoceros for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future, as well as for the international community.

In his submission to Cabinet the Minister of Environment and Tourism indicated that uncontrolled tourism activities in the Kunene Region causes great concern for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. He noted that unqualified and inexperience tour guides take tourists on safaris. Due to their inexperience they disturb wildlife, cause environmental degradation through off-road driving and arbitrary camping. They also cause conflict in communal area conservancies.

In his submission to Cabinet, the Minister referred to a recent incident in the Aba-Huab River where an American tourist was killed and another seriously injured when they were attacked by elephants after their tour guide left them alone in the veldt. He also referred to two previous incidents during the past two years where tourists were killed by elephants in the same district. He mentioned that, while the Ministry regrets the tragic incident in the Aba-Huab River, the elephants couldn’t be blamed for defending themselves when they feel threatened by humans. He stated that the tour guide should not have left his guests alone in the veldt.

Tourists do not always exercise the necessary caution when they encounter elephants in the wild. It is a known fact that when elephants feel threatened, they become unpredictable and aggressive. 

Black rhinoceros and calf, East Africa.  © Photo: WWF-Canon/Y.J. Rey-Millet.

The Minister furthermore indicated that tour guides who are not familiar with Namibian wildlife, and the customs of the Namibian people cause problems. He mentioned that tourists in proclaimed game parks are controlled by regulation and can be prosecuted for misdemeanor. This is not the case on unproclaimed communal state land such as in the Kunene Region. Tourists drive wherever they want, deviate from roads, do not have the courtesy to introduce themselves to conservancies when they travel in their areas and disturb and harass the game on uncontrolled land. 

The Minister stated that several solutions have been offered to curb the problems experienced with uncontrolled tourism in the Kunene Region. These include:
- formal proclamation of a conservation area as an extension of the Skeleton Coast Park for the desert adjacent to the Park;
- joint management of the area by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and conservancies according
to approved management plans of the Ministry;
- control of tourists by establishing control points, a permit system, no-go areas and restriction of movement to roads only; and
- compulsory registration of all tourist guides operating in Namibia by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism after completion of the Tourist Guide Training offered by the Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH).

The latest estimates, prepared by IUCN's African Rhino Specialist Group, show that there are now more rhino in Africa than at any time since the early to mid 1980s. In 1999, African rhino numbers in the wild reached just over 13,000, up from 8,300 in 1992. Most of this increase is due to the continued rapid growth in the number of southern white rhino. Also the number of wild elephants has increased in Southern Africa. In particular neighbouring Botswana already has unsustainable numbers. However numerous in some parts, other parts, such as war-ridden Angola, still have deficits in elephants.

Source: Namibian Ministry of Environment and WWF

© afrol.com. Texts and graphics may be reproduced freely, under the condition that their origin is clearly referred to, see Conditions.    You can contact us at mail@afrol.com