AU sustainable development chief calls for deepening of community-led conservation efforts in Botswana
Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) – The sight of wild animals freely roaming the floodplains of the Chobe National Park in the northern tip of Botswana, the border confluence of four other countries, is worth the troubling journey of nearly a thousand miles.
Tourism facilities located in the region thrive on the natural attraction of the wild elephants co-existing with the local community and tourists.
But for the authorities in Botswana, the attraction is both a blessing and a curse.
Some 40,000 complaints have been filed against wildlife conflicts in the local community, while tourism continues to thrive.
The elephant population has continued to surge, from 80,000 in the 1990s to 130,000 in recent months, with Chobe National Park, Botswana’s third largest animal park, home to one of the largest mammals on earth.
Five years ago, the authorities introduced a controversial commercial hunting license to raise funds for wildlife conservation and to help deal with the crisis posed by climate change, which causes the annual migration of wildlife into human settlements.
Amid the growing crisis caused by climate change, surging populations, funding shortfalls, the co-existence between the animals and man, Botswana became the first African country to host Africa's first ever Summit to discuss wildlife conservation.
The African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Sustainable Development and Blue Economy, Moses Vilakati, said the need for continued conservation, as expressed by the successful conservation strategies implemented by Botswana, was more urgent.
“We need country-specific strategies to unlock the US$30 billion global finance for climate change adaptation before 2030. These funds should be directed towards community conservation,” Vilakati told PANA in an interview.
During the First Biodiversity Conservation Summit held in early November, the AU sought the input of the African Heads of State Summit on broader strategies for wildlife conservation and climate change.
“This Summit is a stepping stone. Its resolutions have been overwhelmingly endorsed by the Ministers and the Heads of State. We are urging heads of state to help us by ensuring that biodiversity conservation is part of the annual national budgets,” Vilakati said.
The president of Botswana, Duma Boko, in his State of the Nation Address, days after the Biodiversity Summit, claimed Botswana ranked number one globally for mega-fauna conservation, proudly hosting the most significant African elephant population.
“While wildlife remains the cornerstone of our tourism economy, and a vital source of rural livelihoods, this success brings new challenges, including poaching and human-wildlife conflict,” Boko told Parliament.
In response to these challenges, Botswana plans to implement a National Anti-Poaching Strategy which has been developed.
The Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act has been amended to empower officers with appropriate arms to combat militarised poaching syndicates.
The National Human-Wildlife Conflict Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2030) has been launched following nationwide consultations.
“This holistic framework safeguards rural livelihoods, while promoting peaceful coexistence between communities and wildlife.
Botswana remains resolute in its commitment to sustainable utilisation of wildlife resources guided by science, rooted in sovereignty, and enriched by the wisdom of our communities,” President Boko said.
The Commissioner welcomed an overwhelmingly support for Declaration to create an African Trans-boundary Conservation Trust Fund to support projects such as wildlife parks, other innovative sources of financing for conservation and policy support.
“This Summit will not just impact Africa as a continent alone. It impacts the entire world. This Summit will set trends for water-wildlife conservation, eco-tourism and biodiversity conservation as well as the co-existence between man and nature,” Commissioner Vilakati stressed during the interview.
Botswana’s tourism sector nets roughly US$334 million a year although the government estimates the revenue could be much higher if the government dealt with the issue of offshore hotel bookings.
Tourists travelling to highly prized places such as Chobe, commonly known as the “Four Corners" because it lies on the border area of Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are currently seen to contribute little to the welfare of the local community conservation groups.
The local biodiversity conservation groups such as the Botswana Community Living Amongst Wildlife Sustainability (CLAWS) lack funding for their activities. On 9 Sept.2025, CLAWS field staff came across the carcass of the “Silver Eye”, a male lion, named because of its missing eye.
The lion was suspected for dying from poisoning possibly from the local community within the famous Okavango Delta.
Earlier, the Botswana Wildlife Department confirmed its officers were forced to shoot dead two lions which had persistently raided local communities.
Vilakati took note of issues which are emerging from Trans-boundary conservation of nature.
“ In terms of conservation, it is important that we go back to the communal conservation of nature.
"This means teaching children about the importance of conservation so that it is cultural. We think so far, our efforts towards the conservation of nature through trans boundary cooperation has been very successful.
"The wildlife does not know borders and no strong fence could restrain elephants from moving across the borders. Besides, our countries were previously not restricted to borders. We are working with all these countries to implement innovative biodiversity conservation projects.
"In this instance, we have launched the KAZA project. It is a project covering Angola, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We are working together and we shall put all the issues that arise from the implementation of these conservation strategies on the table.
"For example, we are keen to discuss how to assist in controlling the elephant population because their overpopulation has an impact on nature.
“In terms of the issues arising from the conservation, we recommend countries work in a sisterly manner. We should also not suffocate animals that seek to move across borders.”
The African Union is supporting the implementation of the Kaza conservation project. The project covers the entire Kavango, Zambezi, Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA). The Kaza Green Growth Project, runs for four years.
It would help by providing aid through the restoration of the landscape which is currently under strain from destruction of the wild animals and increasing population density.
The European Union is providing US$5.8 million to foster inclusive social economic growth and biodiversity conservation through the local communities.
The project secretariat is based at the Worldwide Fund for Nature, a global conservation organisation. Despite the minimal funding for community conservation, largely, the sector is reeling from lack of funding.
The AU has proposed the Africa Biodiversity Trust Fund as part of efforts to finance conservation efforts in the continent. Vilakati said the proposal is based on the realisation that donor-funding for conservation dried up long time.
“We have to resort to financial innovation. Every country should put the issue of biodiversity conservation on the table. We urge the Heads of State to include Biodiversity in their budgets. The key thing for us is the issue of funding our own efforts because biodiversity is key to our survival. There were pledges from the global community to provide US$30 billion by 2030.
Vilakati said funds should be ploughed back to the communities for community conservation.
"We urge the member states in Africa to work on a case by case basis to unlock these funds,” Vilakati said.
The AU Commissioner urged countries in Africa to rely on knowledge products, such as environment finance journals, to develop projects which could help release funds from development banks such as the African Development Bank and the World Bank to finance nature conservation.
The other issue is to look more intensely at internal financing. Obtaining these funds are important for biodiversity.
"We are also consulting further in order to come to a conclusion on whether we should be relying upon blended financial products, bonds and other insurance products, the Commissioner stated.
-0- PANA AO/RA 18 Nov2025
