New park stations for Khaudum
In the fourth phase of NamParks, the environment ministry has opened two park stations for Khaudum National Park.
Namibia is working towards establishing its parks as viable tourist destinations that will benefit the communities who live alongside them.
The environment minister Pohamba Shifeta last week inaugurated two park management stations, Khaudum and Sikereti, both in the Khaudum National Park in the northeast of the country.
The total cost of the two park management stations ran into roughly N$80 million.
“This is the biggest and best development in the history of Khaudum National Park,” Shifeta said at the inauguration of the Khaudum station.
Due to the remoteness of the new Khaudum station and the limited road access, building it has been a massive achievement.
The construction of the Khaudum station took more than 400 000 bricks, 20 000 bags of cement and 8 million litres of water to construct.
The two new park stations were co-funded by Namibia and Germany via KfW or Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, a German government development bank, and the construction was part of the latest phase of the Namibia National Parks Programme, also called NamParks. According to Shifeta, each new station provides top quality houses for all staff, an attractive entrance gate, a visitor reception building, offices, a workshop, and electrical and water supplies.
The two new stations include 60 staff houses.
“The new houses are a huge improvement on the old dilapidated wooden 'Kimbo' buildings in which most of the staff have been living until now,” said Shifeta.
He however urged that these new buildings be maintained. “You now have something many people in Windhoek do not even have.”
Shifeta further said that wildlife contributes significantly to the livelihoods of the local communities in rural areas. Khaudum is a good example of this and the conservancies just north of the park, George Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana, benefit from trophy hunting concessions and will also soon benefit from a new lodge concession in the park.
Likewise, the Nyae Nyae conservancy to the south benefits from surplus wildlife which moves out of the park into the conservancy where it becomes available for joint venture trophy hunting.
“Khaudum is special, it is hidden away in the Kavango East Region and it is difficult to travel to. You travel two hours on a distance of a bit more than 40km, but for many of its visitors that is part of its attraction. It is a real wilderness and last year there were fewer visitors to the park than there are elephants in the park,” said Shifeta. According to him besides having more than 2 000 elephants, the park is famous for its roan antelope, African wild dogs, leopards and lions.
He further said that the national programme is now in its fourth phase. According to Shifeta the first two phases began with the Bwabwata, Mudumu and Mamili parks.
“NamParks has grown rapidly and phase three focused on the Khaudum, Bwabwata, Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara national parks. The fourth phase is now in full swing and will complete the work in the northeast and will also focus on the development of the Tsau//Khaeb National Park, formerly the Sperrgebiet, in the //Karas Region.”
Shifeta said the fifth phase is about to begin and will be devoted to Namibia's coastal parks in the Kunene, Erongo and the Hardap regions.
Meanwhile the German ambassador to Namibia, Christian Schlaga said that Khaudum is one of the most pristine and adventurous parks in Namibia. “Khaudum is a truly wild park which makes it attractive.”
According to him well designed and carefully planned park stations are important preconditions for effective and sustainable park management. He said good park management not only leads to the preservation of rich biodiversity but it is also the base for the sustainable economic use of the parks. “A well-managed park attracts visitors and leads to increased tourism, job creation and therefore generates income for the local population.”
Nexus Construction won the tender to construct the two park stations in Khaudum while WML Consulting Engineers, Nina Maritz Architects, De Leeuw Namibia, GFA Consulting Group also formed part of the team.
ELLANIE SMIT
The environment minister Pohamba Shifeta last week inaugurated two park management stations, Khaudum and Sikereti, both in the Khaudum National Park in the northeast of the country.
The total cost of the two park management stations ran into roughly N$80 million.
“This is the biggest and best development in the history of Khaudum National Park,” Shifeta said at the inauguration of the Khaudum station.
Due to the remoteness of the new Khaudum station and the limited road access, building it has been a massive achievement.
The construction of the Khaudum station took more than 400 000 bricks, 20 000 bags of cement and 8 million litres of water to construct.
The two new park stations were co-funded by Namibia and Germany via KfW or Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, a German government development bank, and the construction was part of the latest phase of the Namibia National Parks Programme, also called NamParks. According to Shifeta, each new station provides top quality houses for all staff, an attractive entrance gate, a visitor reception building, offices, a workshop, and electrical and water supplies.
The two new stations include 60 staff houses.
“The new houses are a huge improvement on the old dilapidated wooden 'Kimbo' buildings in which most of the staff have been living until now,” said Shifeta.
He however urged that these new buildings be maintained. “You now have something many people in Windhoek do not even have.”
Shifeta further said that wildlife contributes significantly to the livelihoods of the local communities in rural areas. Khaudum is a good example of this and the conservancies just north of the park, George Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana, benefit from trophy hunting concessions and will also soon benefit from a new lodge concession in the park.
Likewise, the Nyae Nyae conservancy to the south benefits from surplus wildlife which moves out of the park into the conservancy where it becomes available for joint venture trophy hunting.
“Khaudum is special, it is hidden away in the Kavango East Region and it is difficult to travel to. You travel two hours on a distance of a bit more than 40km, but for many of its visitors that is part of its attraction. It is a real wilderness and last year there were fewer visitors to the park than there are elephants in the park,” said Shifeta. According to him besides having more than 2 000 elephants, the park is famous for its roan antelope, African wild dogs, leopards and lions.
He further said that the national programme is now in its fourth phase. According to Shifeta the first two phases began with the Bwabwata, Mudumu and Mamili parks.
“NamParks has grown rapidly and phase three focused on the Khaudum, Bwabwata, Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara national parks. The fourth phase is now in full swing and will complete the work in the northeast and will also focus on the development of the Tsau//Khaeb National Park, formerly the Sperrgebiet, in the //Karas Region.”
Shifeta said the fifth phase is about to begin and will be devoted to Namibia's coastal parks in the Kunene, Erongo and the Hardap regions.
Meanwhile the German ambassador to Namibia, Christian Schlaga said that Khaudum is one of the most pristine and adventurous parks in Namibia. “Khaudum is a truly wild park which makes it attractive.”
According to him well designed and carefully planned park stations are important preconditions for effective and sustainable park management. He said good park management not only leads to the preservation of rich biodiversity but it is also the base for the sustainable economic use of the parks. “A well-managed park attracts visitors and leads to increased tourism, job creation and therefore generates income for the local population.”
Nexus Construction won the tender to construct the two park stations in Khaudum while WML Consulting Engineers, Nina Maritz Architects, De Leeuw Namibia, GFA Consulting Group also formed part of the team.
ELLANIE SMIT
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