Zambezi River Basin

Botswana

ANGOLA

ZAMBIA

ZA M B E Z I R I V E R B A S I N L I M I T L i n y a n t i

Mohembo

ZIMBABWE

O k a v a n g o

Nokaneng

Maun

Tsau

Nata

NAMIBIA

Francistown

Mopipi

Ghanzi

BOTSWANA

Serowe

Palapye

Mahalapye

L i m p o p o

Lehututu

Elevation Metres above sea-level

Lokhwabe

Molepolole Mochudi

GABORONE

Kanye

0 200 500 1 000 3 000 2 000 1 500

M o l o p o

Lobatse

Tshabong

SOUTH AFRICA

Total Area of Country Portion of Country within Zambezi Basin National Population in 2010 Portion of National Populationwithin Zambezi Basin

581 730 sq km 19 100 sq km (3.3 %) 1.8 million 13 140 (0.73%)

Important Environmental Issues

• Overgrazing and desertification • Water scarcity and urbanization • High wildlife densities in Maun, Kasane and Chobe areas

farming (mainly cattle) dominates the agriculture sector. Rangeland is being degraded due to the tendency of farmers to keep cattle in excess of sustainable stocking levels, low off- take rates, and the incidence of bushfires that reduce available forage. Water supply is a major challenge as 68 per cent of the country is covered by the Kgalagadi Desert, and droughts often exacerbate the water supply problem. Desert conditions are encroaching in most parts of Botswana due to naturally arid conditions and frequent droughts as well as overgrazing and the creation of boreholes in semi-arid areas. Where water for livestock is limited, large numbers of cattle concentrate around boreholes, leading to localized overgrazing. Significant growth in cattle stocks has forced pastoralists to expand westward into the Kgalagadi, leading to vegetation loss and erosion of marginal lands. A gradual increase of

Botswana is a semi-arid landlocked country situated on the central plateau of southern Africa, and encompasses most of the Kgalagadi Desert. The country receives little rainfall, experiences frequent droughts, and imports most food and other products. About 95 per cent of all surface water resources in Botswana is concentrated in the northwest corner of the country around the Okavango Delta, while the majority of the population lives in the southeast (UNEP 2008). Cattle ranching was the mainstay of Botswana’s economy until after independence from Britain in 1966, and since the discovery of diamonds in the 1970s, mining has become the largest economic sector, with a large portion of the national budget still drawn from customs revenue through the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Progress towards environmental sustainability Reverse the loss of environmental resources Overgrazing by a booming cattle population threatens vegetation and wildlife as pastoral

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