A livelihoods assessment of Okavango Delta communities in the villages of Tubu, Habu, and Nokaneng

This study uses the sustainable livelihoods framework to investigate the livelihoods of communities in the southwest of the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s largest and most biologically diverse wetlands and a World Heritage Site since 1997. Through a constructivist analysis of communities, the research explores the experiences of communities living on the periphery of the Okavango Delta to understand their challenges. Data were collected through household interviews, unstructured focus group discussions with village leaders, ethnographic observations, and document analyses. The study identifies several key challenges in these communities: unemployment, high poverty rates, low education levels, crop and livestock predation, lack of livelihood diversification, and water scarcity. Agriculture, including arable farming and livestock rearing, along with informal employment through Ipelegeng are the main sources of livelihood. However, communities face significant costs due to crop raiding by elephants and livestock depredation, with conflict mitigation efforts yielding negligible results compared to the incurred costs. The Tubu, Habu, and Nokaneng communities in the southwest of the Okavango Delta differ from those on the eastern side as they do not currently benefit from community-based natural resource management through tourism initiatives. This article recommends that community institutions collaborate with the Technical Advisory Committee to engage in negotiations with the government, donor agencies, community-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, private sector, and other stakeholders. Building strong partnerships and expanding networks could lead to significant advancements for these communities, such as benefiting from ecotourism joint ventures, adopting smart agriculture practices, and participating in the government’s natural resources management.