08 Dec 2025

The German government has lauded Botswana through the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for committing funds into sustainable projects that championed conservation.

Speaking during a recent visit at the Department of Environment and Wildlife in Kasane, the German Ambassador to Botswana, Ms Gabriela Bennemann said it was imperative for them as the funders of SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas to appreciate the projects they had invested in.

Ms Bennemann said Botswana was an important partner in fighting climate change and preserving the flora and fauna. She added that Botswana was a model of conservation of natural resources which she attributed to the human wildlife coexistence frameworks that were crafted by the government.

She stated that the German government had injected over €200 million financing Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier (KAZA) Conservation Areas for wildlife management and biodiversity management projects.

She said she was happy that German tourists were benefactors of the riverfront road maintenance inside the Chobe National Park which was funded by German government. For his part,

Department of Wildlife and National Parks regional director- Chobe, Mr Batshani Nduchwa stated that Chobe was endowed with diverse and rich wildlife species which attracted an influx of tourists to the region.

However, Mr Nduchwa said due to communal land sitting between Chobe river and the national park, there was a plight of human wildlife conflict caused by wildlife traversing through farms and cattleposts.

He said the funding from the German government impacted positively in mitigating human wildlife conflict.

He said Germany funded his department through KAZA to build three solar powered boreholes Kazuma-Chobe wildlife dispersal area to safeguard communities and de-concentrate wildlife from communal areas.

Also, he said the German government had funded maintenance of Chobe riverfront roads and purchased a grader that was dedicated to maintaining roads inside the park.

Furthermore, he indicated that they were funded for construction of eight staff houses at Chobe National Park and Pandamatenga staff houses. He thanked the German government for addressing the critical needs for conservation to attain biodiversity. ENDS