Protected areas: reconciling environmental protection and human activities
The preservation of biodiversity in Botswana is based on the establishment of protected areas, which are divided between game reserves and national parks. The conservation policy of these areas is based on an approach of ecotourism in connection with indigenous populations, awareness-raising actions, as well as the fight against poaching. Among these protected areas, we can mention
Chobe National Park : located in the north of the country, on the Namibian border, it is renowned for its megafauna (including lions, leopards, elephants, hippos and crocodiles). It also has a remarkable flora, within the ecosystems of shrubby savannah and flood plains (acacia, mahogany, gallery forest).
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park : located in the southwest of the country and shared with South Africa, it protects emblematic species, including lions, cheetahs, meerkats, otocyons, but also oryx. The park is also home to a wide variety of birds.
Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans National Park: located in the north of the country, in the Kalahari zone, the park is known for its salt pans, vast expanses of salt from an ancient lake once fed by the waters of the Okavango. It is home to migrating wildebeest and zebra, and also protects populations of cheetah, elephant and giraffe.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve: located in the center of the country, it was originally created to preserve the ancestral practices of the San people. It is the largest protected area in southern Africa. Now open to tourism, it is home to many species including giraffes, brown hyenas, oryx and many birds.
The Okavango Delta: located in the north of the country, it is the second inland delta in the world (it has no sea mouth). It is also one of the most important wetlands on the planet. A true reservoir of biodiversity and a natural filter, it has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2004.
The preservation of this biodiversity is not always smooth. Thus, in 2019, the government decided to lift the moratorium protecting elephants. The reason? The difficult cohabitation between villagers and pachyderms, the latter being responsible for damage to crops and attacks, a situation partly related to global warming. Indeed, recurrent droughts are driving wild animals away from protected areas, in search of water and food. Elephant quotas are now instituted each year (287 in 2021) and hunting permits are auctioned to companies registered in the country, which then sell them to individuals. Six lots of permits were put up for sale in 2020, much to the dismay of some NGOs. At up to 39,000 euros per permit, this is a move that promotes luxury "tourism" from abroad. Other human activities have impacts on biodiversity. Thus, pastoralism can lead to competition with wild fauna for the supply of water for livestock, a situation also linked to global warming. Overgrazing contributes locally to the degradation of natural environments (soil erosion, trampling of species, disappearance of woody cover).
Combating sources of pollution
The exploitation of mining resources (gold, diamonds, uranium, coal, copper) causes environmental pollution through the emission of toxic substances into the soil, water and air. Urban development in the main cities and the growth of motorway traffic is leading to a deterioration in air quality. Initiatives exist, such as a project to pedestrianise certain areas in the capital. Effluent and waste treatment systems are still inadequate.
The climate challenge
A UN report published in December 2020 warns about global warming. We are currently on a trajectory of +3.2 degrees by the end of the century, which would irrevocably alter the conditions of life on earth. Botswana, like France, is committed via the Paris agreements to achieving carbon neutrality by the end of the century, in order to limit the average increase in temperatures on earth to + 2 °C. In Botswana, global warming could lead to a greater frequency and intensity of extreme events, such as droughts. Along with water shortages, food insecurity is also a threat. In 2019, many animals - both wild and farmed - were found mired in Lake Ngami, reduced to mud. In 2020 the disappearance of 356 elephants is attributed, according to the latest assumptions, to the effects of climate change. The high temperatures, linked to low water levels and the presence of nutrients, would have generated the development of toxic bacteria in the Okavango Delta, cyanobacteria fatal to pachyderms. The drought also threatens local crops and fisheries in a country with less than 5% arable land and low water resources. Botswana's energy transition roadmap relies on the development of solar power plants. However, hybrid photovoltaic/diesel systems do not free the country from fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases. Energy efficiency measures are also being planned in the mining sector. The country's museums are also working to promote ancestral ecological knowledge and to disseminate knowledge about climate change, particularly among schoolchildren in rural areas. Travellers to Botswana can also take action at their own level, not only in their travels but also in their daily lives. It is possible to measure one's carbon footprint(https://nosgestesclimat.fr/simulateur/bilan) in order to implement actions to reach carbon neutrality (2 tons ofCO2 equivalent per year per inhabitant in France).
