10 Nov 2021

Botswana is committed to natural resources conservation, as shown by its development agenda, environment, natural resources conservation and tourism (MENT) minister Ms Philda Kereng has said.

Speaking at the 19th African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) on November 9 in Kasane, Ms Kereng said the commitment is demonstrated by the country’s development agenda, which is guided by, among others, Vision 2036.

“This vision outlines the aspirations of the citizenry, having been developed through a bottom-up process,” she said.

The minister said relevant to the AWCF was the pillar that supported sustainable management of natural resources and healthy ecosystems to promote biological diversity, resilience to climate change, economic transformation and empowerment of local communities.

She noted that wildlife and wildlife economy remained strong components of the strategy to economically uplift Botswana’s rural communities’ livelihoods.

Ms Kereng told the AWCF that between 2014 and 2019 Botswana instituted a hunting ban in Wildlife Management Areas, which disadvantaged local communities, whose economies relied on the sale of hunting quotas and also exacerbated human-wildlife conflict.

The Minister explained however, that trophy hunting was reinstated in 2019, following consultations with all stakeholders, leading to sustainable and legal off that generated revenue for community trusts as well as mitigated against community threats to undermine wildlife conservation efforts.

She said as part of Botswana’s deliberate plan to promote wildlife economic contribution initiatives such as National Elephant Management Plan, National Anti-poaching Strategy and the Guidelines for keeping of game in agricultural holdings were launched.

Ms Kereng said it was evident that the Government and its partners were actively working on many initiatives that encompassed the spirit and intent of AWCF.

She added that it was crucial for African countries to continuously convene events where they could exchange lessons learnt, successes and failures and most importantly best practices.

The minister urged ACWF to centre discussions on African wildlife challenges and possible solutions in order to maintain the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife across the continent, through wildlife habitat management.

She said for conservation efforts to bear fruit, there was need to agree on and implement international engagement frameworks.

“Our arguments for sustainable utilization of our wildlife resources are being countered on multiple fronts and SADC member states, in particular, are inadvertently penalised for excellent measures they have put in place to control elephant populations,” she said.

She said the region had become victim of its own success, which called for concerted efforts in order to make headway.

She thus called on the ACWF to explore the issue further.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Chobe district council chairperson, Councillor Amos Mabuku thanked the orgainsers for choosing Kasane for the forum, saying it would provide opportunity to market the area and revive the tourism sector.

He noted that Chobe had abundant wildlife that resulted in increased cases of human-wildlife conflicts.

Cllr Mabuku, however said he was hopeful that with the lifting of the hunting ban, human-wildlife conflict cases would decline.

Meanwhile, the chairmanship of the ACWF passed from Zimbabwe to Botswana. ACWF was formed in 2002 in Kasane by dedicated corps of African Wildlife government officials from southern and east Africa with rotational meetings held annually. ENDS