Addressing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 50th-anniversary commemorations in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday, President Masisi said the country continued to ensure the safeguarding of the environment through various policies and interventions.
He said the country had made significant achievements in environmental management and managed to update and enact new legislative and policy instruments to address evolving environmental challenges.
"In order to contribute effectively to the global challenge to address climate change, we have strengthened and updated our nationally determined contributors and adopted the Climate Change Policy and the National Adoption Plan," President Masisi said.
He told his audience that these policy developments were pursued in line with the National Transformation Agenda, which focussed on transforming the general socio-economic and environmental status of Botswana.
President Masisi further said the country continued to ensure its abundant wildlife resources were protected and utilised sustainably, with 40% of the country having protected area status.
"In keeping with our international obligations, Botswana has continued to ensure high standards in the sustainable management of biodiversity-rich ecosystems such as the Okavango Delta, now listed as a World Heritage Site and the Makgadikgadi Wetlands system," Masisi said.
He added that the country took pride in having integrated environmental management into the National Development Plan (NDP) process and the National Vision 2036, which were key instruments guiding the national development process.
Furthermore, Masisi said at the local level, Botswana had Community Based Natural Resource Management programme meant to enhance community livelihoods through the sustainable use of resources in their environs.
He also revealed that government had also worked to strengthen the National Environment Fund, a funding mechanism that supported communities in implementing environment and development projects.
The President also made a plea to the global community to incentivise conservation success, instead of coming up with punitive measures for such efforts.
"Nations that have succeeded in conservation, especially of critical global goods such as red-listed species, should be supported and not punished for their success stories through stringent global regulatory measures that can deter sustainable utilisation and trade in wildlife resources among others," Masisi urged.
The President applauded UNEP for being a global authority on environmental concerns and having achieved many successes in the global environmental agenda.
He also commended the host state Kenya for providing exemplary leadership in the areas of sustainable development and environmental management.
UNEP executive director, Inger Andersen said the institution had travelled a long journey since the Stockholm Declaration that led to the establishment of the global environmental organisation in 1972.
She said there had been many milestones in combating environmental challenges and climate change, and charged the global community to continue to work on mitigating climate change, desertification and other environmental concerns. (BOPA)
