| Overview : The Chobe-Kwando-Linyanti (CKL) complex in northern Botswana links the Okavango Delta, Caprivi Region of Namibia and Matetsi-Hwange Protected Area (PA) complex in Zimbabwe. The CKL is home to the biggest herd of elephants in the world, with some 200,000 sharing a range covering eastern Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, north eastern Namibia and south east Angola. Chobe is also said to have larger mammal species than any other Protected Area. It forms a vital component of the habitats of species that move seasonally over large distances in these environments. It also lies at the hub of the emerging Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area and attracts many tourists.
Therefore with tourism being hailed as a ‘new engine of economic growth’ and targeted as one of the major sectors for facilitating the diversification of Botswana’s economy, expectations of economic growth through development of the tourism sector are high and the wildlife in the PAs is the main tourist attraction. Chobe National Park attracts over 100,000 tourists per year. Effective management of the PA state, therefore, is one of the critical elements for tourism development and the key enabler for this process is the skills and capacity development for the Protected Area management and support staff.
In light of this, UNDP is seeking to engage the services of a Park Management Expert to conduct a Human Resource evaluation/needs Assessment of Chobe National Park Staff and develop a training and capacity development plan for the staff in order to ensure effective management of the park and attract more tourists. |
