Botswana

Although the Central African country of Botswana is a semi-arid one that features part of the Kalahari Desert, ninety percent of its people have easy access to clean water. The government has passed 25 different laws on the protection and preservation of the country’s natural resources as well as land management. Adding up to 18 percent of the country’s landmass, there are five game reserves, three game sanctuaries and 40 controlled hunting areas to protect the country’s wildlife, which include such endangered species as black rhinoceros, African hunting dog and the African savannah elephant.

Renewable Energy

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in cooporation with the Government of Botswana created a Renewable Energy-Base Rural Electrfication Programme. The project aims to reduce Botswana’s energy-related CO2 emissions by promoting renewable and low Greenhouse Gas (GHG) technologies as a substitute for fossil fuel (fuel wood, paraffin and coal) utilized in rural areas. The activities proposed in the project are designed to remove barriers to the wide-scale utilization of renewable energy and low GHG technologies, meeting the basic electricity needs of individual households in terms of lighting, power for radio-cassette/TV and income-generating activities. In turn, this project will help initiate the renewable energy program of the Government of Botswana and encourage the private sector to develop provisions for the country’s renewable energy programs.

Sustainability:

Enjoying wide support from much of the environmental community, CFL bulbs are replacing traditional incandescent bulbs worldwide. However, the disposal of these bulbs is an unsolved problem. CFL bulbs contain mercury, which is considered a toxic by the WHO.  Gaborone’s landfill is currently under-assessment to test its ability to dispose of CFLs.

Sustainability - Preservation:

Birdlife Botswana, with the support of the Government of Botswana and UNDP and other organizations has launched a beginner’s guide to Birds in Botswana called ‘Avitourism Handbook’. The aim of the program is to promote tourism and provide incentive to the local community to protect important species in the area.

The Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity was inspired by the world community's growing commitment to sustainable development. It represents a dramatic step forward in the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

The following discusses Botswana's plans for biodiversity:

In determining the conservation status of each of the ecoregions, several indicators and criteria were used to develop a priority rank amongst the different ecoregions. These were protection level, species richness, endemism, Red Data species and value to the nation. Some of the national targets/priorities include: development of a comprehensive protected areas network to conserve ecosystems and species (taking Important Plant Areas and Important Bird Areas into consideration); development of effective ecosystem management practices, including a review of current national and regional land management systems; and the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded ecosystems and habitats.

Water ecosystems are of particular interest to Botswana as they provide hydrological, ecological and climatic functions. Botswana, being a dry country with only 4% of its area covered by water ecosystems, has taken liberty to conserve and manage its waters sustainably. The main water ecosystem, the Okavango delta, is a designated Ramsar site and is protected under the convention. Protected areas are surrounded by Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) making it easy to expand into broader land. Planning structures recognize WMAs. Botswana has adopted and continues to adopt a number of policy frameworks on environment including management and governance of protected areas. These policy frameworks not only guide direct activities of various stakeholders in favor of conservation and protection, but also evaluate the effectiveness of existing methods, criteria and indicators used to manage and govern protected areas for better and improved methods and indicators. The Global 200 project identified two Global priority areas; the Zambezi flooded Savannas and the Central and Eastern Miombo woodlands.

There are also a number of sites that have been described as important to Botswana, some of which have been categorized as National Heritage sites and are protected by law, although information on status and trends is not available. Birdlife International identified twelve sites as Important Bird Areas, six of which are covered by the protected areas system. No Important Plant Areas have been identified yet.

Source: Convention on Biodiversity