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Articles

The Kalahari Desert - An Ecotourism Paradise

By Gillian Meier

The Kalahari Desert is one of the premier wildlife destinations in Africa. The area had previously been farmed with little regard for the environment, and as a result, the very essence of the authentic Africa it once was had been almost completely destroyed. However, thanks to the destruction of dams, removal of houses and fences and re-establishment of indigenous game such as cheetah and lion, it is now on the road to resembling the real Africa that nature intended. Alien species have been removed and rare wildlife reintroduced.

As an environment that had largely been unnoticed in terms of socio-economic development, the communities within this region had been unfortunate in that they had not had the opportunity to benefit from any formal education or schooling, nor had they been exposed to any social welfare programs. As the area has become established within the environment, many inhabitants are now employed by the Reserves that provide ecotourism attractions to travelers. Not only do those employed benefit from this investment, so also do the people in the surrounding regions benefit from the economic impact that tourism has on this development.<<more>>