Government and Corporate Leaders Demonstrate That "Conservation is Good Business" in Africa

On November 13th, at the "Conservation is Good Business" symposium in Washington, D.C., the President of Botswana, Festus Mogae embraced the concept of sustainable economic development as the only option that offers hope for struggling African countries.

Sustainable economic development has become a mantra for many economists, symbolizing both progress and a clean environment. For many African countries like Botswana, heavily dependent on wildlife tourism and agriculture, sustainable economic development has become synonymous with a way to create jobs and revenue without destroying the environment.

The half-day symposium was co-sponsored by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), one of the leading conservation groups in Africa, and the Corporate Council on Africa, a leading American not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing trade and investment ties between the United States and the 53 countries of Africa. The symposium explored ways in which conservation groups and business interests can come together to provide solutions to development problems.

At the symposium, President Mogae said, "In our land use policy, we have made conservation a priority. These policies have ensured that the utilization of wildlife resources is sustainable. There is no doubt in my mind that conversation is good business."

Botswana is an arid country the size of Texas. It is one of the richest countries in Africa because of its mineral wealth and its relatively small population of just over 1.5 million. But, Botswana is most well-known internationally as the home of the Okavango Delta -- one of the most important safe havens for wildlife in Southern Africa. The Okavango River empties into the Kalahari sands in the northwest, creating the world's largest inland river delta, home to a wide variety of birds, plants, and small animal species.

In addition to being home to a wide variety of species, the Okavango Delta is the largest remaining habitat for the endangered Wattled Crane. In September, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) sponsored a survey of this area as part of its effort to determine what measures need to be deployed to ensure that the crane populations survive. Although other surveys have been conducted, AWF is the first organization to commit to regular studies of the area. The survey results are expected in the coming weeks, at which point AWF will begin working with the Government of Botswana and other organizations to develop a sound strategy for protecting the Wattled Crane.

"We are proud to be working in Botswana where sustainable development is helping both the wildlife and the people of Africa thrive," said Dr. Patrick Bergin, President of the African Wildlife Foundation.

The African Wildlife Foundation has been active in Africa for more than 40 years. As part of its innovative conservation strategy, AWF has established the African Heartlands Program. The Heartlands are large landscapes which are biologically important and have the scope to maintain healthy populations of wild species and natural resources into the future. In all of its work in the Heartlands, AWF engages governments, local communities and private enterprise to work beyond boundaries to create cohesive conservation ecosystems in which both animals and humans not only survive, but thrive.