Boteti — Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Kitso Mokaila, has applauded the Kalahari Conservation Society (KCS) and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) for their efforts to save wildlife.

The minister was speaking at the handover boleholes installed to supply wildlife during the dry season. The shortage of water in the Makgadikgadi Pans became particularly acute when the Boteti River stopped flowing in 1992, thus threatening fauna and flora in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

"This project is significant as it shows how the government and civil society can collaborate in development projects. This is an initiative that has proven that partnerships in development, as envisaged in Vision 2016, are efficient and cost effective," said Mokaila.

President Seretse Khama Ian Khama, former president Sir Ketumile Masire and many other dignitaries attended the handover ceremony.

The Makgadikgadi borehole project started in 2006, after the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism approached KCS to manage the installation of artificial water points.

That was after the situation was further exacerbated and it was agreed for the long term good of the park and the local communities, to erect the electric fence. The wildlife was left with a few pools around the Khumaga area, which also led to higher concentration of wildlife in the area during the dry season, culminating in environmental degradation and wildlife mortality.

The project comprises nine boreholes at five river points, along the Boteti River, which are fully equipped and functional. Before this project, there were only four wildlife water points on the western side of the park. Two of them were problematic with the other two being pumped continuously but even so they could not meet the water demands of the wildlife.

The management of the project was carried out by KCS under a joint management committee of three KCS members Felix Monggae, Michael Ramaano and Neil Fitt.

Other members were from Ministry of Environment Wildlife and Tourism, Patricia Malatsi and Jan Broekhuis from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. The management committee supervised the overall project implementation, strategic decisions and controlled budget.

Subcontractors were appointed to carry out different components of the project, such as the environmental management plan by Ecosurv, water surveys, drilling and casing, equipping the boreholes and civil workers. The management system proved to be very efficient in ensuring that the project was carried out timeously with all partners appraised at all times.

KCS vice chairman Fitt, told the guests that they encountered a few challenges at the beginning of the project concerning the location of the boreholes.

"After considering research work previously undertaken in the area, and after being updated by the current subcontractors, the new information became available, agreed that the location of the boreholes and the water points were to be along and in the vicinity of the Boteti River between Sukwane and Moreomaoto," said Fitt.

The project also contributed to the small group of hippos by digging a new pool that is fed by one of the new river extraction points. Some of the points that were considered were to secure and expand the provision of water in areas traditionally used by wildlife for dry season watering, also to maintain the natural migratory movements of zebras. The other main points were to safeguard the success of the Makgadikgadi Water Supply programme by developing water in those areas that have the greatest likelihood of providing a sustainable and potable water supply. It also discouraged the build-up of a permanent elephant population in the central and western parts of the park, which lead to a rapid destruction of the unique palm woodlands of the Makgadikgadi Pans.