Global conservation commitments must be matched by practical action and adequate resources, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Wynter Boipuso Mmolotsi, has told the European Union (EU), urging it to increase biodiversity financing and technical support.
Minister of Environment and Tourism Wynter Boipuso Mmolotsi made the call during a bilateral meeting with a delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI), on the sidelines of CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia. He stressed that accelerating implementation of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires stronger partnerships, increased funding and greater accountability.
Mmolotsi asked the EU to support Botswana’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, strengthen scientific research and biodiversity monitoring, and help build the technical capacity needed to protect ecosystems. He pointed to Botswana’s record on conservation, including its participation in the five country Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). He also underscored the role of more than 170 Community Based Organisations (CBOs), which advance community participation in conservation through the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme.
The minister cautioned, however, that climate change, water scarcity and human wildlife conflict continue to test conservation efforts. That, he said, makes it essential that local communities, women and youth share in the benefits of biodiversity protection. He further called for stronger support through the Global Environment Facility’s ninth replenishment (GEF-9), the operationalisation of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) and innovative financing to draw in private sector investment.
Mmolotsi reiterated Botswana’s commitment to working with the EU to turn shared biodiversity commitments into tangible results through sustained cooperation, increased financing and decisive action to safeguard nature for present and future generations.
