04 Mar 2014

United Nations Development Programme national coordinator, Ms Elsie Mvimi has challenged the people of Kgalagadi to solicit funding from UNDP Small Grants Programme (SGP) for conservation projects.

Speaking during the World Wildlife Day in Tsabong recently, Ms Mvimi said such projects might be from the areas of climate change mitigation, international waters (protection), land degradation as well as sustainable forest management (prevention) and multi-focal that encompassed issues such as poverty, livelihoods, capacity development inter alia.

Such projects by registered community-based organisation and or non-governmental organisations should contribute to environmental protection, poverty reduction and empowerment. Projects should also create global benefits and quantifiable impacts.

In Kgalagadi South SGP worked with the people of Bokspits, Rappelspan, Vaalhoek and Struizendam (BORAVAST) in controlling prosopis species alias ‘sexanana’ which is a dominant and imposing shrub like tree which was initially introduced in 1980’s to help curb soil erosion and desertification in Ghanzi and Kgalagadi regions.

The tree had been found to be one of the greatest threats to the ecological and economic wellbeing of the planet and therefore a global concern.

However, Ms Mvimi found that there were a lot of opportunities in the area of conservation in Kgalagadi District which people could use to combat poverty and create employment amongst other things. She pointed out that the district was endowed with natural resources, amongst them wild animals.

The same observation was echoed by the Director of Wildlife and National Parks Dr Oduetse Koboto who said that Kgalagadi District was one of the ‘key wildlife areas in the country with significant populations of large cats, gemsbok inter alia.

The district was also cited as home to Transfontier Park, the first transfontier conservation area in Southern Africa. As an encouragement to the inhabitants of the district Dr Koboto said,  “there is tremendous untapped potential to develop the tourism industry for the benefit of the district.”

For the projects to qualify for SGP funding it is required that such projects should be geared towards solving an identified environmental problem or tapping on an environmental opportunity.

Launched in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro at the World Summit, SGP encourages solutions to global environmental problems through community based initiatives and actions.

Apart from funding the BORAVAST sexanana controlling project, SGP has funded various biodiversity projects countrywide like development of Gcwihaba caves as an ecotourism venture, Lapologang Support Group Conservation Park and enhancing tourism product at Lekhubu Islands amongst other projects.BOPA