02 Mar 2022

Environmentally friendly policies pursued by government present Batswana with many opportunities not only  for safeguarding their surroundings but also to make a living.

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng said this in an interview with BOPA yesterday at the end of a three-day United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) session in Nairobi, Kenya.

“We have recently formulated the Integrated Waste Management Policy passed by Parliament. This offers an opportunity for individuals, communities and businesses to participate and earn a living through gathering and recycling waste and government is looking to assist citizens to derive commercial value from this,” Ms Kereng said.

Stating that UNEA came at an opportune time when Botswana had started implementing the policy,  Ms Kereng revealed that a Waste Management Pitso was scheduled for March 9-10 in Gaborone.

She said UNEA had resolved to formulate a treaty for states to work on ending environmental degradation caused by plastic pollution adding that Botswana was prepared to participate.

“We looking at developing a whole economic value chain from the recycling of plastics and learn from states such as Rwanda who have developed cleaner urban environments by drastically curbing the use of plastic.  We will bring communities and stakeholders on board, to help coordinate such activity,” Ms Kereng said.

The minister stated that a plastic levy was in place which went into the National Environmental Fund for supporting non-governmental organisations, research, education and other activities  related to plastic waste management.

“Here in Kenya, I have toured a project led by youth who produce bricks from recycled plastic and I am interested in seeing Batswana pursue such productive business activity from waste management,” she said.
UNEA, a gathering of environmental affairs ministers from the 193 UN member states, civil society, business and other stakeholders, was established in 2013 as an organ of UNEP.

“UNEP as the UN mother body for environmental issues sets the global agenda from its secretariat in Nairobi. UNEA serves to improve dialogue and to coordinate our states’ policies and share knowledge. This week the fifth session met over three days from Monday to Wednesday under the theme “Strengthening Actions For Nature To Achieve The Sustainable Development Goals,” said the minister.

Ms Kereng said in her statement delivered Tuesday, she stated that Botswana had the largest concentration of elephants in the world ‘which we continue to carefully conserve, and that we pursue integrity in the management of our ecosystems, which is evident in our stewardship of wildlife, human-wildlife relations and natural resource management as well as policy formulation.’

According to Ms Kereng, other areas of concern raised during the assembly included the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable development as well as climate change which brought about adverse weather patterns. Ends