National Human-Wildlife Conflict Strategy and Action Plan for Botswana (2025–2035).

This National Human-Wildlife Conflict Strategy and Action Plan (NHWC-SAP) is a sectoral framework developed to address human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in Botswana. It focuses on empowering communities and providing a coordinated framework for preventing and mitigating HWC, with the aim of reducing its impacts on rural livelihoods and strengthening the social and economic value of wildlife conservation. Ultimately, the Strategy seeks to promote coexistence between people and wildlife, safeguard ecosystem services, and contribute to sustainable economic development. The main objective of the project was to develop a national HWC Strategy and Action Plan for Botswana. This objective is supported by the following specific objectives and associated key activities (i) analyse and address the root causes of HWC in Botswana through evidence-based strategies and stakeholder collaboration; (ii) implement targeted interventions that reduce human-induced pressures leading to HWC and promote peaceful co-existence; (iii) develop a centralized HWC database that enables analysis and facilitates knowledge-sharing and evidence-based conflict resolution strategies; (iv) develop and promote strategies that protect both human well-being and wildlife populations from the detrimental effects of HWC; (v) develop a sustainable wildlife economy by strengthening and enhancing the wildlife value-chain sector; (vi) strengthen community resilience by implementing efficient and timely compensation mechanisms for Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) losses; (vii) design and execute a comprehensive Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) Mitigation and Adaptation Plan that promotes sustainable human-wildlife coexistence.
The Strategy is structured around 7 Priority Areas that address the principal dimensions of HWC in Botswana (1) address the underlying drivers of HWC by identifying the environmental, social, economic, and land-use factors contributing to conflict and developing targeted measures to prevent and reduce these pressures; (2) reduce direct pressures contributing to HWC by addressing competition for resources and inappropriate interactions between wildlife and human activities, including agricultural expansion, settlement, and infrastructure development in wildlife areas; (3) improve the availability and use of HWC information and data by strengthening data collection, monitoring, centralized information management, and regular reporting. Improved access to reliable and timely information will support evidence-based decision-making and coordination among stakeholders; (4) minimise the adverse impacts of HWC on people and wildlife by protecting livelihoods, reducing crop and livestock losses, limiting disease transmission, and preventing retaliatory killing of wildlife. Measures include community education and participation, physical barriers, compensation mechanisms, and alternative livelihood opportunities; (5) establish a sustainable wildlife economy and strengthen wildlife value chains by expanding opportunities for economic benefits from wildlife, including photographic tourism, regulated consumptive use, and the development of wildlife by-products. These activities are intended to strengthen local livelihoods and create economic incentives for wildlife conservation; (6) enhance community resilience through effective and timely compensation mechanisms by establishing appropriate financial instruments, including a proposed HWC Replacement Fund and insurance schemes. These mechanisms are intended to address losses resulting from wildlife damage to crops, livestock, and infrastructure, as well as injuries and fatalities, including longer-term support for affected dependants; (7) develop and implement an HWC mitigation and adaptation plan that translates the Strategy into practical measures tailored to local conditions. These measures include strengthening livestock enclosures, promoting crops that are less attractive to wildlife, adjusting grazing practices to reduce exposure to high-risk areas, and establishing early-warning systems based on wildlife movement and other relevant information. The plan will require sustained collaboration and engagement among government, communities, conservation actors, and other stakeholders to support long-term coexistence and resilience.
The National Action Plan adopts a structured and phased approach that includes (i) Short-Term (2025–2026) to address immediate conflicts, raise awareness, build partnerships, and establish monitoring systems; (ii) Medium-Term (2027–2028) to scale up successful strategies, implement landscape-level interventions, diversify livelihoods, and develop policies; (iii) Long-Term (2029–2030) to institutionalise HWC strategies, ensure sustainability through funding and research, and foster cultural and regional cooperation. This structured approach ensures response to immediate threats, refining strategies for broader implementation, and building a resilient and sustainable framework for human-wildlife coexistence over the long term.