Oregon State University/University of Botswana
Country:
Botswana
Award Date:
2000
Award Amount:
$99,911.00
Cost Share:
$124,965.00
Other Partners:
Conservation International; NW Consortium for Wildlife Conservation
This partnership improved regional efforts to manage and sustain natural resources by developing the institutional and resource capacity of the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center (HOORC) at the University of Botswana (UB). The HOORC is the only research institution serving the Okavango Delta, an environmentally sensitive area containing habitat and wildlife populations that transcend national borders. Partners participated in a series of faculty exchanges, conducted short-term training programs, and initiated long-term, collaborative, and inter-disciplinary research projects on elephants and hippos, both key species in the region. HOORC staff expanded their technical knowledge and skills and increased their awareness of how to develop community support through alliance building with NGOs and other agencies for research directed toward conservation efforts. The HOORC also increased its ability to monitor ecological systems, identify regional interventions more effectively, test new technologies and approaches, and collect and analyze data.