11 Nov 2025

President Advocate Duma Boko has announced the start of a national clean-up campaign, designating the second Saturday of every month as a clean- up day, to augment government’s waste management efforts.

Delivering the State-of-the-Nation Address on November 10, President Advocate Duma Boko said every community member would take part in cleaning their respective environment, calling upon businesses, institutions and the informal sector to keep their immediate and greater surroundings clean at all times.

Furthermore, President Boko said government had taken a decision to ban single use plastic bags. 

“The industry has advanced to a point where biodegradable packaging is available, hence there is no excuse. The modalities to implement these necessary interventions will be communicated by the relevant authorities following consultations,” said President Boko.

With respect to sustainable environment, he said Botswana was committed to the Paris Agreement and to the global fight against climate change, hence developing a comprehensive National Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, due to be completed by end of the financial year.

President Boko said the strategy would lay a foundation for a national framework and action plan that would empower businesses and investors to integrate sustainability in their planning.

President Boko said ESG principles would also be embedded into the national development and investment architecture, adding that in parallel, Botswana was also strengthening its climate finance architecture.

He said the National Development Bank (NDB) was finalising accreditation with the Climate Change Adaptation Fund, and that government was actively exploring opportunities with the Green Climate Fund, with the view to unlock new avenues for financing climate-resilient infrastructure, green innovation and sustainable livelihoods, further reinforcing the country’s commitment to a low-carbon, climate-smart future.

Further, he said in pursuit of the national commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development, government, in partnership with UNDP, had commenced the development of a comprehensive protected areas resource mobilisation strategy and partnerships plan.

President Boko said the initiative represented a bold and forward-looking response to the country’s protected areas, adding that the accreditation of Kasane-Kazungula and Shakawe as wetland cities under the Convention on Wetlands Accreditation Scheme affirmed Botswana’s leadership in safeguarding globally significant ecosystems.

A national ecosystem assessment project is underway, offering a comprehensive evaluation of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and interdependence between nature and society, President Boko said.

He said Botswana was ranked number one globally for megafauna conservation, proudly hosting the most significant African elephant population.

However, he said while wildlife remained the cornerstone of Botswana’s tourism economy and a vital source of rural livelihoods, poaching and human-wildlife conflict remained concerns.

Thus, President Boko said the national anti-poaching strategy had been developed, and the Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act amended, to empower officers with appropriate arms to combat militarised poaching syndicates.

Updating the nation on the Bonno Housing scheme, he said, “against a the target of 100 000 units over a three-year period, a total of 31 745 housing units country wide have been contracted with various developers, with construction of 5 880 housing units across the country already having commenced and expected to be completed by end of the next financial year, including the 3 000 being built through the Botswana Housing Corporation in Kgale.” ENDS