05 Nov 2025

 The 2025 Africa Biodiversity Summit is both timely and profound, as it provides an opportunity to showcase Botswana’s conservation success story and share with the world lessons from many decades of successfully looking after some of the best biodiversity hotspots.

Delivering a keynote address at the Africa Biodiversity Summit in Tlokweng on Wednesday, President Advocate Duma Boko said government of Botswana continued to invest significant resources in the protection of the biodiversity.

Currently, he said the country had set aside 40 per cent of its territory as protected areas and wildlife management areas.

“Our track record in conserving our wildlife, including elephants, is second to none,” he said.

Botswana, President Boko further said supported the establishment of Africa Biodiversity Fund to bridge the large gaps that Africa carried in conservation finance.

“We must collectively mobilise domestic and international finance, incentivise private investment, explore innovative instruments such as green bonds, payments for ecosystem services, biodiversity credits, while re‑directing harmful subsidies into nature-friendly initiatives,” he added.

Achieving such ambitions, he said required adequate resources, stressing that no country could manage biodiversity alone.

In addition, he said biodiversity must be mainstreamed across all sectors, including; agriculture, mining, urban development, infrastructure and energy.

He highlighted that there was need to seek economic models that rewarded conservation, generated jobs in eco‑tourism, sustainable harvesting and green supply chains.

“It is imperative that we develop and align our national biodiversity strategies and action plans to the Africa Strategy and Action Plan and other global biodiversity instruments to ensure commonality of purpose and coordinated action,” he said.

The African continent, the President said was blessed with lands, wildlife, waters, forests and wetlands, which were not just beautiful landscapes, but a foundation for livelihoods, culture, identity, climate resilience, health and prosperity.

He, therefore, expressed concern that the world species, ecosystems and communities’ well-being and securitywas threatened by environmental challenges such as the; biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, land degradation, shrinking forests, water scarcity, rising human-wildlife conflict, fragmented wildlife corridors and invasive species

Additionally, President Boko said transboundary ecosystems required cross‑border cooperation, adding that regional economic communities, civil society, private sector, international partners also played a vital role.

Such partnerships, he said ought to be equitable, respect national sovereignty, human rights and offer mutual benefit.

Africa’s rich biodiversity, he said should create sustainable jobs for Africans.

As such, he said improving the livelihoods of citizen was also key to ensure that they meaningfully and sustainably benefited from the continent’s rich biodiversity. 

“Prosperity must be defined not only by Gross Domestic Product, but in secure food systems, clean water, resilient communities, nature‑based economies and healthy ecosystems that buffer the shocks of climate change,” said the President.

When nature was degraded, President Boko said the costs were huge and often borne by the underprivileged, whilst when nature thrived it supported all the people.

He further expressed hope that deliberations at the summit themed:Leveraging Africa’s Biodiversity for Prosperity would lead to bold and transformative outcomes for Africa to be not just a region of abundant nature, but one where biodiversity was interwoven with prosperity, justice, resilience and hope.

“Let this summit be more than words. Let it mark a turning point. It must be an opportunity to renew our political will, commit resources, seal partnerships and establish the Africa Biodiversity Fund,” he added. ENDS