14 Feb 2018

Deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism,  Mr Thabang Botsoma says biodiversity and ecosystem are vital to the economy and development of Botswana.

He added that they ensured the production of goods and services essential for subsistence and commercial purposes.

Officiating at the 2nd Biodiversity Symposium in Maun on Tuesday, Mr Botsoma said biodiversity through the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) programme provided opportunities for local communities for income generation through the management of biological resources.

He said the programme also helped in employment creation for communities hence reduced poverty. He also noted that the tourism sector, which is a key player in the economy, also relied on biological resources.

Furthermore, Mr Botsoma said Botswana was committed to biodiversity.

However, Mr Botsoma said biodiversity was faced with challenges, especially from mankind, through the spread of invasive species, climate change and the degradation of habitats.

He noted that conserving and sustainable management of biodiversity was critical to address challenges such as climate change.

Furthermore, Mr Botsoma said Botswana has goals in place to minimise the threats to biodiversity. He noted that the country encouraged sustainable development by reducing pressure on biodiversity and natural resources, mainstreaming biodiversity across society, sound management of resources to protect species and genetic resources. Mr Botsoma also said Botswana strived to promote fair and equitable access to biodiversity to benefit all and knowledge management through capacity building.

He highlighted that the biodiversity symposium was a platform for experts in biodiversity to share information developed in their respective institutions to enhance relations and promote information generation and dissemination.

In his welcome remarks on behalf of Batawana kgosi, Kgosi Leretetse Mogalakwe said the symposium was crucial since it was established after realising that Botswana lagged behind in conducting researches on issues of environment hence the first Botswana symposium was held in 2016. Ends