UNDP Botswana mit Department of Forestry and Range Resources
10 Std.
𝐊𝐆𝐃𝐄𝐏 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞
As the Kgalagadi Ghanzi Drylands Ecosystem Project (KGDEP) concludes in May 2025, oversight structures are on the field to oversee the project's terminal phase. Today, the Project Steering Committee visited Masetleheng, where a campsite was constructed to increase financial returns from natural resource exploitation and reduce human wildlife conflicts, securing livelihoods and biodiversity in the Kalahari landscape.
The visit to Masetlheng—managed by the Nqwaa Khobee Xeya Conservation Trust and benefiting the communities of Ngwatle, Ukhwi, and Ncaang—provided valuable insight into the sustainability and socio-economic impact of the ecotourism model established under the project. The site features five fully serviced campsites that continue to foster nature-based tourism and local income generation.
With funds from Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Government of Botswana through the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in collaboration with UNDP Botswana, KGDEP has for the past seven years worked to improve human-wildlife coexistence, safeguard agroecosystems, and combat wildlife trafficking in the Kgalagadi and Ghanzi regions.
This high-level engagement sets the stage for the PSC’s upcoming deliberations on the strategic direction and sustainability measures necessary to preserve the gains of the project post-2025. Stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that KGDEP leaves a lasting legacy for the people and ecosystems of Botswana’s drylands.
Gruß Gina