Various stakeholders have been urged to ensure their contributions are geared towards the development of a dynamic and adaptive National Elephant Management Plan framework.
This was said by the department of wildlife and national park (DWNP) director, Moemi Batshabang at a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop in Maun to review the National Elephant Management Plan and Action Plan (NEMAP) of 2021–2026 progress and implementation.
Opening the workshop, Batshabang said Botswana is internationally recognised for its remarkable conservation achievements and proudly hosting the largest population of African Savanah elephants in the world.
He noted that this achievement is a result of decades of sound leadership, progressive conservation policies, and the resilience and tolerance of communities living alongside these animals.
“Elephants form an integral part of Botswana’s natural heritage. They are a keystone species that play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. They also underpin our thriving tourism industry, contributing significantly to the national economy.”
However, Batshabang reminded that with this success comes an equally important responsibility.
He highlighted that the continued growth and expansion of the elephant population have brought increasing management challenges.
“Human-elephant conflict remains one of the most pressing conservation issues facing our country, affecting livelihoods through crop destruction, damage to property, loss of human life’s, injuries to people, and pressure on rural development. In some areas, increasing elephant densities also place considerable strain on habitats and biodiversity to the detriment of other wildlife species.”
Therefore, Batshabang urged that these realities should be a reminder that conservation must always strike a balance between protecting wildlife and safeguarding the livelihoods of local communities.
“It is for this reason that the National Elephant Management Plan must remain a dynamic and adaptive framework. It cannot simply be a document developed within offices.”
He indicated that it must however reflect the lived experiences, aspirations, and realities of those living with elephants every day from villages and cattle posts to protected areas and wildlife management zones.
Batshabang highlighted for other communities, the challenges of living alongside elephants are an abstract debate, while for the people of Ngamiland and Okavango who host a large population of elephants in their area, is a lived every day experience.
“As we review this Plan, let us remain focused on our common objective, to develop an inclusive, evidence-based, and forward-looking strategy that support the delicate balance of ecological sustainability while safeguarding and improving the livelihoods of Batswana.”
He concluded that the workshop reflected their shared commitment to ensuring that Botswana continues to manage its elephant population in a manner that is sustainable, responsible, and beneficial to both people and nature.
The workshop also sought to identify achievements, gaps, legacy issues and emerging risks, including law enforcement, human-elephant conflict, ecological impacts, governance and community benefits.
Lastly, the stakeholders agreed on priority revisions, an action timetable and the validation pathway for the revised NEMAP.
Meanwhile, some of the stakeholders, including Dikgosi, Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), and farmers reiterated their concerns ranging from limited hunting quota, inadequate and delayed compensation, persisting human-wildlife conflict and lack of resources by the department recommending various interventions to formulate an effective management plan.
