TRIP REPORT
4 MARCH 2002 TO 15 MARCH 2002
Simon Mayes and David Ward
INTRODUCTION
A field trip was made to the north east of Namibia with the following objectives:
1. GIS support to MET staff in Rundu and Katima Mulilo.
2. Mapping of east Caprivi Conservancies fixed foot patrol routes.
3. Mapping of roads, tracks, cut-lines and points in Mudumu National Park and Bwabwata
East.
ACTIVITIES
1) GIS support to MET staff in Rundu and Katima Mulilo
The Arcview GIS training course conducted at the Remote Sensing centre in Windhoek
during Febuary for senior MET staff from the North East was followed up with a site visit.
The Rundu MET office was visited and revision of the Arcview course was done. Chief
Control Wardens Sibalatani and Kanyinga and Chief Warden Sikopo were present during the
two days spent there and were able to produce and print out a tourist map for the Khaudom
Game Park and a management map for the Mahango Game Reserve. During the visit an A3
Hewlet Packard colour printer was also installed at the office, thus making the GIS data
accessible to all levels of staff in the form of printed maps.
Further training was given on the new Fire and Mortality databases that were developed after
requests were received from senior staff in the north east for such a system.
Staff in Rundu have also been in contact with Lux Development Aid who are involved in a
mapping project in the Kavango region and a comprehensive data set of roads and settlements
was obtained.
Two days were also spent in the Katima office with Chief Warden Musiyalike and Warden
Kaseba revising Arcview, installing the A3 printer, producing maps for the Caprivi Parks and
printing them. The above staff also requested that another staff member be trained in case
they are not available, Principal Ranger Samahiya was selected and due to time constraints it
was decided not to give comprehensive Arcview training but to show him how to open
Arcview, find the right map, set the printer and print.
Training on the new databases was also carried out and loaded onto the Katima office
computer.
2) Mapping of fixed foot patrol routes.
Conservancies in Caprivi conduct monthly fixed foot patrols where they record only live
wildlife sightings. These data shall be used for trend analysis and it is important that effort
remains constant. Maps indicating actual routes are required for not only recording locality of
sightings but also to ensure that the routes do not change. During this trip routes in four
conservancies were mapped. Community game guards in each conservancy were responsible
for indicating routes in the field.
The mapping was done with a Garmin 12XL GPS and data downloaded every evening to a
Laptop computer.
a)
Kwando Conservancy
Two routes, both 10 km. in length, were mapped while a third was under water and cannot be
walked.
b)
Mayuni Conservancy
At present one long route (25 km.) is used although it is felt that this may need to be
shortened. An additional route is presently under water.
c)
Mashi Conservancy
Two routes were mapped. One route of 13.3 km. follows the river along the floodplain while
a second (11.5 km.) is located inland.
d)
Wuparo Conservancy
There are two fixed routes but only one was mapped as the second route is now under water.
This route is 6.6 km. long. Unfortunately this route may have to be discontinued if
floodwaters continue to rise this year.
3) Mapping of roads, tracks, cut-lines and points in Mudumu National Park and
Bwabwata East.
MET staff requested the updating of roads and cutlines in the Bwabwata East area and
Mudumu National Park.
One day was spent in each area with a staff member travelling on all roads and cutlines not
yet recorded.
a)
Mudumu NP
One cutline running east-west in the northern section and few smaller tracks along the river in
the southern section of the park were recorded.
Park staff were also encouraged to collect point data, i.e. important pans, location of patrol
camps and any other features they thought important as the Mudumu NP, especially away
from the river, does not have many features. These data shall be used to update the GIS at a
later stage.
b) Bwabwata East
New tourist tracks in the southern area were recorded, one of which has not yet been
completed.
Once these data have been processed maps will be produced and sent back to the Rundu and
Katima offices.
Simon Mayes and David Ward