- donate a vehicle to CLAWS
Wildlife conservation efforts in Botswana’s eastern panhandle have received a boost following the donation of a vehicle to non – governmental organisation; Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainably (CLAWS).
The vehicle was handed over by the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Secretariat and funded by the European Union through the NaturAfrica Green Growth Initiative.
KAZA TFCA is the world’s largest transfrontier conservation area, spanning parts of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The initiative promotes conservation and tourism development through harmonised policies and sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods in the Okavango and Zambezi river basin.
Speaking during the handover, KAZA TFCA Executive Director Dr Nyambe Nyambe said the donation symbolised strong regional partnerships and a shared commitment to sustainable conservation and development. He said KAZA, established in 2011 by five partner states, is founded on the principle of coexistence between people, livestock and wildlife.
Dr Nyambe explained that the vehicle will support disease surveillance and management at the livestock–wildlife interface, an important priority in the KAZA landscape. He noted that such interventions are critical for conserving biodiversity while protecting livelihoods and strengthening rural economies.
The donation falls under the EU NaturAfrica Programme, which prioritises KAZA as part of its green transition agenda for Sub-Saharan Africa. Through NaturAfrica, the EU has awarded a €5 million grant to the KAZA TFCA Secretariat for the 2025–2029 Green Growth for KAZA project, implemented in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Sustainable Finance Coalition.
When receiving the vehicle, CLAWS Program Director Catja Orford said it will play a critical role in supporting farmers in the eastern panhandle through strategic grazing and herding initiatives aimed at reducing human–wildlife conflict, improving rangeland conditions and slowing the spread of diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease.
The program director further described the donation as timely, saying it will strengthen community outreach, wildlife monitoring and support to farmers on sustainable livestock management practices.
She added that CLAWS empowers communities to live sustainably alongside wildlife through conservation education, conflict mitigation, improved livestock protection and biodiversity stewardship.
Meanwhile, Transfrontier Conservative Areas (TFCA) Coordinator Michael Molaodi thanked the European Union for funding the project, noting that the area where the vehicle will operate is classified as a red zone, which continues to affect beef exports. He said CLAWS has made notable progress through community-based tourism and Herding for Health models that promote coexistence, while government policies continue to support private sector and export-led growth.
