07 Sep 2020

 In an effort to speedup assessments of damages caused by wild animals, communities will be empowered to conduct such assessments. 

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Phildah Kereng said this when responding to legislators’ debate of the thematic sector on sustainable environment of the NDP 11 mid-term review.

She said the ministry was developing local economic empowerment strategy to empower communities to serve within their jurisdictions because of their availability and visibility.

Ms Kereng acknowledged that there was delay in assessments and reports of wildlife related damages as residents had to wait for wildlife officers.

This, she stated, created a backlog and delays in compensating those distressed.

Ms Kereng also assured Parliament that the ministry would continue to consult and engage Batswana on issues of human-wildlife conflict.

Furthermore, she said the same strategy for local empowerment would be used for control of illegal sand mining and indiscriminate disposal of litter in villages.

Parliament also learnt that recycling of waste would be taken to a higher level to create jobs for Batswana as some had already started to produce bio-gas from litter. She stated that there were opportunities in waste collection, hence some protocols would be put in place to ensure that value chain in waste materials was explored from collection to separation of litter, in an effort to create jobs.

Ms Kereng also informed the house that the ministry was continuing with capacity building initiatives geared towards capitalising use of natural resources such as morula, sengaparile and morama to produce natural products.

 

Furthermore, she concurred with legislators that broad spectrum of tourism products should be explored to grow the industry such as domestic, agro, dam, religious and arts and culture tourism.