09 Jul 2025

The deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ms Abigail Khumoyame has acknowledged the invaluable support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) towards addressing the financial challenges confronting protected area management in Botswana.

Giving a keynote address at the ongoing second training workshop on the Botswana Protected Areas Resource Mobilisation Strategy and Partnerships Plan, she said the partnership continued to strengthen collective efforts in biodiversity conservation and sustainable financing.

Ms Khumoyame acknowledged that once the document on the plan was finalised, it would enhance the capacity of the institutions and stakeholders to plan, mobilise and manage financial resources effectively.

The document she said, would also enable them to pilot and scale finance solutions that could be replicated across other protected areas.

“Our protected areas are not only ecological treasures but also vital contributors to our tourism economy, rural livelihoods, and national identity. Yet, they face increasing financial pressures that threaten their ability to deliver on their conservation and socio-economic mandates,” she added

The platform, she said  came at an opportune moment considering the current financial situation of the country, adding that it was thus imperative as it called for innovative ways of ensuring that the tourism sector was properly positioned for it to help propel the economy forward.

She acknowledged that the workshop would deepen their understanding of the financial needs and challenges facing protected area management in Botswana as well as allow them to seek ways of refining and prioritising resource mobilisation options that were both innovative and contextually appropriate.

She said it would also afford them the opportunity to validate the findings of an ongoing consultancy and build consensus around a finance solution to be piloted as well as strengthen institutional coordination and stakeholder alignment in preparation for implementation.

The director of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Mr Moemi Batshabang indicated that along with exploring models for sustainable financing for protected areas management, they have undertaken to optimise business processes to support efficiency for collection of protected area revenues and thanked UNDP and the BIOFIN initiative for their unwavering support and technical guidance.

He urged participants to approach the workshop with a spirit of collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility for the future of Botswana’s natural heritage.

Through the workshop, he said they will engage in critical discussions, validate key findings, and work towards the identification of a finance solution to be piloted in one of the protected areas.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks is tasked with the development of a Protected Areas Resource Mobilisation Strategy and Partnerships Plan, with assistance from UNDP and BIOFIN, a global initiative designed to address biodiversity conservation financing challenges. ENDS