3. National Agenda 21 strategies
The Republic of Botswana has received international praise for its remarkable development since the country’s independence in 1966. While Government’s 5-yearly National Development Plans (NDP) have focussed on developing the economy and infrastructure, the area of natural resources protection had also seen a number of steps undertaken prior to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Examples of legislation and policy are the Forestry Act (1968), the Agricultural Resources Conservation Act (1978), the Rural Development Strategy (1973), and the Wildlife Conservation Policy (1986). 1990 saw the approval of the National Policy on Natural Resources Conservation and Development, the creation of the National Conservation Strategy Agency (NCSA), and the approval of the National Water Master Plan.
These early initiatives and the commitment of the Government of Botswana (GoB) to Agenda 21 led to high expectations for sustainable development in Botswana. Ten years later, while progress has continued to be made through a considerable number of initiatives undertaken in the various areas covered by the 27 principles and 40 chapters of Agenda 21, as well as in terms of global policy through the environmental audit of the NDP8, and through the principle of sustainable development as a basis for GoB’s Long term vision for Botswana, towards prosperity for all (Vision 2016), it must be recognised that the country has not yet truly adopted the agenda of sustainable development.
In general, the NDPs focus more on required budgets for different Government departments than on a comprehensive development strategy. Given the structure of GoB, any issues of sustainable development are often perceived as “environment” rather than crosscutting, and are placed within the sole Ministry of Lands, Housing and Environment. Efforts, albeit often considerable and commendable, are therefore often scattered. Some legislation and policy is in place, but these are isolated efforts rather than part of a strategy. While the Vision 2016 is potentially an ideal vehicle for sustainable development in Botswana, no mechanism is yet in place to link the Vision with the NDPs and no agenda exists to translate it into an action plan.
The main achievements of the different Government institutions that relate to the 40 chapters of Agenda 21 have been assembled in the Botswana National Report on the Implementation of Agenda 21 and other Rio Earth Summit decisions. Some reporting on initiatives from other stakeholders such as NGOs, CBOs, Unions and the private sector has been included.
Within Civil Society, a large number of NGOs and CBOs are working in various areas of sustainable development, including such areas as urban environment, community-based natural resources management, permaculture, forestry, agriculture, wildlife and conservation, and veld products. Additionally, several NGOs focus on development, with both rural and urban programmes. Other NGOs work on specific issues such as health/HIV, gender and human rights. Case studies illustrating this broad range of activities are included with this document.
A number of NGO and CBO networks and coalitions have been created. The Botswana CBO Network (BOCOBONET) has now more than 60 CBOs under its membership, and the Botswana Council of NGOs (BOCONGO) is the focal point for most NGOs.
In the private sector, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) have been started in areas such as renewable energy, recycling and environmental consultancy. In addition, some of the larger companies such as the mining companies have environmental management plans and social responsibility initiatives. The largest company, Debswana, has cooperated with the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) to adopt an Environmental Management System (EMS) based on the ISO 14001 standard. The private sector also cooperates with NGOs, through fundraising, corporate membership and/or direct action such as the cooperation between the oil industry and Somarelang Tikologo (ST) in the Waste Oil Management programme.
| -> Agenda 21: more than ‘environment’: among the key issues in Agenda 21 on which progress will be assessed in Johannesburg are HIV/AIDS and poverty, but also issues like equitable access to land and other resources, women’s rights, rural development and agriculture, which are central to sustainable development in Botswana. Despite this, there is a misconception among stakeholders –within GoB, NGOs, business and the general public- that Agenda 21 is “something about environment/climate change/biodiversity”. |
The absence of a national Agenda 21 planning process producing a national Agenda 21 strategy was identified by the participants in the Civil Society WSSD workshop as the core bottle-neck of the sustainable development agenda in Botswana.
Some of the perceived benefits of such a planning process and subsequent implementation of an agreed plan would be
- Comprehensive stakeholder identification, involvement and consultation
- Resulting awareness among all stakeholders
- Clear task distribution for all stakeholders and identified mandate for the coordinating agency
- Agreed and identified locally relevant goals, objectives, indicators and milestones
- Efficient implementation - avoid duplication, improve cost-efficiency
- Adequate resources allocation
As will be outlined in the section looking forward, it is imperative that a localised Agenda 21 is established. During the WSSD it will have to be determined whether GoB or Civil Society will take the lead in this process. Assistance will have to be sought from UNDP for this planning process, specifically from the GEF funding which was created as a result of the Rio Summit and has been under-utilised in Botswana.
| -> The Global Environment Fund (GEF) was created subsequent to the Rio Summit as the main vehicle to mobilise and facilitate international support for implementation of Agenda 21 and the related Conventions. The fund supports local, regional and international initiatives initiated by Civil Society or Government. Within the structure of the United Nations system, it falls under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). |
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