ABSTRACT
Botswana has recently introduced an adaptive management approach to the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta, which is located in the northwest of the country. The plan itself has been heralded by decision-makers and the general public (Department of Environmental Affairs, 2008; OKACOM, 2012) as unprecedented both in the country, and in the southern African region. Its design and preparation received strong national and international support and the resulting document, published in 2008, suggests the potential for a more holistic, comprehensive and flexible approach to managing both immediate needs as well as those of future generations. To do this, the ODMP focuses on maintaining the integrity and functioning of the entire wetland and its inhabitants as an interactive system, paying particular attention to possible threats from upstream use in neighbouring Namibia and Angola. We examine the extent to which the implementation of the plan is likely to live up to its potential.
