EU Green Growth for KAZA Project Hands Over Project Vehicle to CLAWS Botswana

The Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Secretariat, together with its partners World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Sustainable Finance Coalition (SFC), officially handed over a project vehicle to Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainably (CLAWS) Botswana under the European Union Delegation–funded Green Growth for KAZA project.

CLAWS is a locally based non-governmental organisation (NGO) working to enhance human–wildlife coexistence.  As human populations grow, wildlife habitats are increasingly fragmented, bringing people and wildlife into closer contact. Large carnivores often enter human-inhabited areas and prey on livestock assets of major economic and cultural importance to rural communities. This places people’s safety and livelihoods at risk, while exposing carnivores to retaliatory killings following livestock losses. CLAWS uses an integrated approach that combines wildlife research and technological innovation with community-centered solutions that enhance safety and support livelihoods, particularly through traditional cattle herding practices.

Together with its partners, CLAWS supports communities to construct both permanent and mobile predator-proof kraals and to reinforce traditional kraals in high-conflict areas. Kraals are secured, fenced enclosures designed to protect cattle and goats from potential carnivore attacks, helping to safeguard livelihoods while promoting coexistence between people and wildlife.

Speaking at the handover ceremony on behalf of Mr. Boatametse Modukanele- Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Mr. Michael Molaodi noted that the dynamics of the region pose challenges in areas classified as red zones by the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture. “This vehicle will contribute to the tremendous work being undertaken by CLAWS on Commodity-Based Trade (CBT) beef models that support human–wildlife coexistence,” he said.

Honorable Itumeleng Kelebetseng, Chairman of the Northwest District Council officially welcomed the handover of the vehicle, emphasizing the importance of promoting coexistence between wildlife and people and assured project partners of continued government support.

KAZA TFCA Secretariat Executive Director, Dr Nyambe Nyambe, highlighted that the involvement of CLAWS, with support from the EU Delegation, reflects a deliberate focus on green growth within KAZA, combining strategic vision with practical implementation. “This vehicle will enable the Wildlife Veterinarian to operate more effectively across the vast and complex landscape, supporting disease surveillance, response, and prevention at the livestock–wildlife interface,” he said.

Ms. Catja Orford, CLAWS Botswana Programme Director, extended appreciation to the project’s collaborating partners for supporting the implementation of the shared KAZA vision. “This vehicle will support our work in engaging partner communities in the eastern panhandle to adopt strategic herding and grazing practices. These best farming practices will help mitigate human–wildlife conflict, improve the health of our rangelands, and slow the spread of diseases at the wildlife–livestock interface,” she said.

The project vehicle will strengthen CLAWS Botswana’s field operations by enabling more efficient access to remote communities and conflict hotspots, timely responses to human–wildlife conflict incidents, and improved monitoring of conservation interventions.

By supporting CLAWS to implement this work, the Green Growth for KAZA project is also helping to mitigate the risk of wildlife–livestock disease transmission and advance efforts to reduce reliance on veterinary fences—structures that are costly to construct, maintain, and repair—as the primary tool for managing disease at the wildlife–livestock interface.

In the long term, once disease risks are adequately managed and other regulatory conditions are met, this approach could create an enabling environment in which certain fences—and the ongoing maintenance they require—may become increasingly unnecessary. This would allow for greater wildlife movement across landscapes and help alleviate the elephant congestion currently concentrated in Botswana.

About KAZA

The Kavango Zambezi Trans Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), spanning approximately 520,000 km², is a partnership of the Governments of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This ambitious conservation, development, and tourism initiative lies within the Okavango and Zambezi river basins. It operates as an official Southern African Development Community (SADC) programme, uniting five nations under a shared vision of regional cooperation in transboundary conservation and sustainable development.

For more information, please contact:
KAZA Secretariat
Communications and Marketing Officer,

Janet Phiri: jphiri@kavangozambezi.org
Website: www.kavangozambezi.org