LocationsAttendees of the workshop i) Taboka Mabayani (MLWS); ii) Tsalano Kidikilwe (DEA); iii) Mapeu Gaolalwe (DEA); iv) Tshepo White (DWNP); v) Omphile Malefho (DWNP); vi) Tlamelo Tshamekang (MLWS); vii) Tshegofatso Tebogo (Kgalagadi Landboard); viii) Bonang Timile (DEA); ix) Khulekani Mpofu (KGDEP PMU); x) Lesole Montshiwa (DWNP); xi) Ikageng Seoleseng (Ghanzi Landboard); xii) Kebaabetswe Keoagile (DEA); xiii) Lesego Seakanyeng (DEA); xiv) Mosimanegape Nthaka (DEA); and xv) Kagoetsile Motlokwa (KGDEP PMU).
A discussion on the development of the inception report taking place during the workshop.
The Kgalagadi and Ghanzi Drylands Ecosystem Project (KGDEP) launched in 2019 in Botswana, is a collaboration between the Government of Botswana and UNDP to reduce competition between land uses and increase the integrity of the Kgalagadi ecosystem. This is reflected under Component 3 of project, which states that there will be ‘integrated landscape planning in the conservation areas and sustainable land management (SLM) practices in communal lands to secure wildlife migratory corridors and increase productivity of rangelands respectively, reducing competition between land uses and increasing ecosystem integrity of the Kgalagadi ecosystem’. In contribution to achieving the outcome of this component, the KGDEP held a workshop on 31 August–3 September 2020 in Tsabong to begin drafting an inception report that will guide the development of an integrated land use management plan (ILUMP) for the areas within and around the Kgalagadi’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), including adjacent communal areas — covering a total of 22 million km2.
Map of the Kalahari landscape showing Ghanzi and Kgalagadi Districts and Central Kalahari Game Reserve and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park showing proposed project sites7 - Source: (From KTP Management Plan, 2008)
The workshop and report preparation was jointly facilitated by the target district (Kgalagadi and Ghanzi) land boards, Botswana’s Ministry of Land Management Water and Sanitation Services (MLWS), and Ministry of Environment, Natural Resource Conservation and Tourism (MENT) represented by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), Department of Forestry and Range Resources (DFRR) and Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). A total of 12 technical officers from these ministries, together with the KGDEP Project Management Unit (PMU) and Chief Technical Advisory (CTA) team, held intensive sessions over four days. By the workshop’s conclusion, the stakeholders had developed a draft inception report which will be used to guide detailed studies towards the development of the ILUMP and, once finalised, will be shared with all relevant stakeholders. The finalised inception report will be presented at the broader stakeholder workshop which is anticipated to take place on 5–10 October 2020. This workshop will also serve to catalyse the start of the ILUMP development.
Speech by the Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Honorable Ms Philda Kereng on the Occassion of the Launch of Environmental Projects 13th February 2020
Environment Project (GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) launched in Tsabong
