06 Nov 2019

Conservation of natural resources remains government’s priority, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Mr Thato Raphaka has said.

Mr Raphaka said this at a Diamond Conference 2019 panel discussion in Gaborone Tuesday.

Panelists discussed and highlighted the need to understand the correlation between conservation of wildlife and preservation of local communities.

Mr Raphaka said government had long taken a decision to conserve natural resources hence the provision of infrastructure and water resources among others.

He said part of government’s conservation strategy was  sustainability of natural resources.

Mr Raphaka reiterated government’s stance on consultation of local communities. 

He said the lifting of the hunting ban was a result of intensive consultation.

The reintroduction of hunting was done as a conservation model but not as a means to wipe out  wildlife, he explained.

He said government was working round the clock to revamp community based natural resource management programmes.

Zambia’s Peace Parks Foundation regional director, Professor Andrew Nambota said conservation should offer tangible benefits to communities.

He said communities were important stakeholders and decision makers in all conservation efforts.

Professor Nambota said where wildlife numbers became unmanageable, it would be a challenge to communities living within those areas.

He applauded the efforts made by the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA).

Professor Nambota said in 2006, KAZA identified the growing number of wildlife populations and it established an initiative of opening up corridors for the smooth migrations of wildlife between Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Conservation journalist from the United States of America, Ms Michelle Garforth-Venter said from an international perspective the conservation message from Botswana had to be refined.

She said there should be a clear message on how such conservation efforts would benefit communities.

On the other hand, De Beers Group Botswana resident director, Mr Neo Moroka said people must derive benefits from the utilisation of wildlife and natural resources.

 

He said the human and wildlife conflict was real and the balance between conservation and preservation should be harmonized. ENDS