The Protected Areas Resource Mobilisation Strategy and Partnerships Plan, designed to address the financial challenges facing Botswana’s protected area management, is now in its initial stages of implementation.
Developed in 2025 by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), the plan aims to close funding gaps.
Minister of Environment and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi, informed Parliament that the Ministry is forming a Resource Mobilisation Unit to coordinate fundraising. This unit will enhance access to both government funding and international grants.
Mmolotsi indicated that this effort will be supported by reforming budget management through decentralisation and leveraging the agility of the private tourism sector to execute projects. The plan also recommends modernising financial systems and enhancing institutional capacity to ensure sustainable funding.
The Minister was responding to a question from Okavango East MP, Gabatsholwe Disho, regarding the dilapidated state of infrastructure in national parks and reserves. Mmolotsi acknowledged that capital expenditure has been critically low over the past decade, resulting in poor facilities.
“About P20 million is spent annually on protected area infrastructure, which is inadequate considering these areas need a substantial injection of investment to meet the standards desired by the tourism industry,” Mmolotsi stated.
He admitted that many gatehouses and staff housing units, built over 20 years ago, require urgent maintenance. However, he noted that some work is already underway, including the recent re-thatching of the Linyanti and Ihaha entrance gates. Additionally, office and staff accommodation projects have commenced in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR).
The Minister explained that while developments will follow a phased approach, progress has been slow due to execution delays and weak institutional capacity. To combat this, the new strategy will specifically leverage private sector capacity to upgrade facilities.
Regarding the Tourism Levy, Mmolotsi clarified that these funds cannot be used for park maintenance or infrastructure development, as such spending is not aligned with the Tourism Development Fund Order. Instead, protected areas rely on Recurrent and Development Funds allocated directly to the Ministry.
MP Disho had questioned why infrastructure remains severely dilapidated despite consistent tourism levy collections, arguing that the poor conditions undermine visitor experiences, conservation goals, and staff welfare.
Mmolotsi explained that the Tourism Development Fund is legally earmarked for tourism development, community beneficiation, research, publicity, service improvement, and heritage preservation rather than physical park maintenance.
