Botswana's Chobe River Threatened, AWF and Other Experts Say

Pollution, unchecked development, and uncontrolled fishing are endangering the ecological health of the Chobe River, experts recently told the Daily News, a Botswana daily. The Chobe River marks the boundaries of Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe and flows along the northeastern border of Botswana's Chobe National Park.

According to experts, many lodges and other buildings are too close to the riverbank, increasing the risk that sewage and other man-made chemicals will end up in the water.

Recently, fish in the Chobe River were attacked by a disease caused by human waste that likely leaked from the sewage system of area lodges.

Oil from the motor boats used by many fishermen also pollute the river, says Gosiame Neo-Mahupeleng, a senior AWF researcher working in the Kazungula Heartland. "The boat drips oil in the river and can harm the wildlife living there," he said.

Experts also warn against the damage being caused by unchecked fishing, and have called for a comprehensive audit of the river to determine how threats to wildlife can be resolved.

Gosiame and other researchers urge the governments from the four countries to pursue a host of measures to shore up the river's ecological health and protect its wildlife.

Located in northwestern Botswana, Chobe National Park is home to one of the largest concentrations of megafauna in Africa. Elephants and buffaloes drink from it during the dry season. The river is also home to Africa's famous bee-eater and other rare wildlife.

To read the Daily News article, click here.

At AWF, Gosiame leads the Large Carnivore Research Project, which focuses on the large carnivores and their impact on the human settlement across the Chobe River through participatory surveys with local communities, radio telemetry, and large landscape surveys of human population and distribution.