Nature in Botswana

Botswana lies mainly in the dry Kalahari Basin. Around two-thirds of the country consists of sandy Kalahari soils; in addition, there are savannas, dry forests, grasslands, seasonal rivers, wetlands, floodplains and salt pans. The rainy season usually falls between November and March, while the drier period is mainly from May to August. The water level of the Okavango Delta depends strongly on flooding from Angola and Namibia, while Chobe-Linyanti is connected to the Zambezi system. Around 38 to 40 percent of the country’s area is protected or covered by a form of sustainable biodiversity management. This includes national parks, game reserves, Wildlife Management Areas, forest reserves and Controlled Hunting Areas; more than 17 percent consists of national parks and game reserves. Important areas include Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Khutse Game Reserve, Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan National Parks, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Tuli Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta. The Delta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and includes a Ramsar site covering 5,537,400 hectares. Protected status nevertheless does not mean unrestricted access, use or extraction. Botswana protects, among others, elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and wildebeest. The Okavango system is home to more than 1,060 plant species, 32 large-mammal species, more than 650 bird species and 68 fish species. Notable bird species include the wattled crane, slatey egret, African skimmer and lesser flamingo. Nationwide inventories record 3,096 plant, 99 fish, 131 reptile, 44 amphibian, 252 butterfly and 152 grasshopper species; significant data gaps remain for invertebrates. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism coordinates national policy. The department responsible for wildlife and national parks (Department of Wildlife and National Parks) manages wildlife, habitats, parks and reserves, issues permits, monitors populations and enforces protection rules. The Department of Environmental Protection assesses environmental impacts and environmental assessment procedures. The Department of Forestry and Range Resources is responsible for vegetation, forests and grazing resources. The Meteorological Service provides weather and climate information. Communities, Land Boards, local councils, Community-Based Organisations and Community Trusts undertake further responsibilities depending on the area. A cross-border coordination body (OKACOM) coordinates cooperation in the Okavango Basin. Nature in Botswana is used for photographic tourism, game drives, guided walks, mokoro and boat trips, camping, sustainable fishing and, in certain community areas, regulated hunting. Community-based natural resource management (Community-Based Natural Resources Management), abbreviated as CBNRM, combines community participation with conservation, concessions, camping, hunting quotas, tourism revenue and local employment. Plant and wildlife products such as Phane may also require a permit depending on the rules and area. The new CBNRM law of 2025 strengthens the responsibility of community organisations, accountability and revenue sharing; required permits remain in place. For group bookings in parks, reserves and campsites, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks is responsible. Citizens need their national identity card (Omang-Karte), while non-citizens need their passport and, where applicable, a residence permit; organised services may additionally require a permit from the tour operator. The stated processing time is three working days, and payment is made in advance. The stated entrance fee is 75 BWP per day for groups of up to 30 people and 100 BWP for groups of 31 to 50 people. Picnic areas are listed at 50 and 75 BWP per day respectively. Recreational fishing requires a minimum age of 18 and has an open season from 1 March to 31 December in all waters. The fishing permit is applied for through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks; the stated processing time is two hours. The stated fees are 30 BWP per month or 360 BWP per year for citizens, and 300 BWP per month or 600 BWP per year for non-citizens. Depending on the water body, a letter from a lodge or an entry permit from the Water Utilities Corporation may also be required. Environmental research requires an application with a research proposal, curriculum vitae and identity document or passport. The stated fees are 250 BWP for citizens, 500 BWP for people with residence and 1,000 BWP for non-residents; an agreement follows approval. The stated processing time is 40 to 45 working days. Environmental education in parks is available to citizens and non-citizens, costs nothing according to the available information and requires five to 15 working days depending on the case. A professional guide licence is valid for one year. Citizens must be at least 18 years old and provide a Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) or Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC), one year of relevant experience and a Class B driving licence; non-citizens must be at least 21 years old, have secondary education and hold a driving licence. Both groups take a theoretical and practical examination; the stated processing time is 48 working days. Commercial environmental filming requires review by the Film Approval Committee and an agreement. The stated processing time is 30 working days; filming costs 5,000 BWP for citizens and people with residence and 10,000 BWP for non-citizens. Photography is free for citizens and people with residence; 1,000 BWP is stated for non-citizens. Developments in national parks, game reserves, Wildlife Management Areas, wetlands, floodplains, important breeding areas, protected areas, areas with rare or endangered species and within up to one kilometre of open surface water require an environmental assessment document under the Environmental Assessment Regulations. This also applies to cross-border projects and certain sensitive mineral-extraction projects. The Department of Environmental Protection is the responsible authority. Affected and interested persons may comment; a public hearing may be required. A decision can be appealed to the Appeals Committee within 30 days. The transport, import or export of wildlife is subject to additional permits and, where applicable, CITES requirements. Drought, extreme heat, water scarcity, seasonal flooding, changing rainfall, falling or shifting Okavango floods and bushfires affect access and ecosystems. The fire season lasts approximately from May to November. Park roads and access routes may be damaged, restricted or closed because of flooding, fires or drought. Other pressures include habitat loss, the expansion of settlements and livestock, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, invasive Nile tilapia, unsustainable water use and human-wildlife conflict. Elephants, lions and other predators may threaten crops, livestock, property and people. For 2025, 6,155 cases of human-wildlife conflict and compensation payments of 28,665,000 BWP are stated. The 2025 to 2030 National Strategy and Action Plan for Human-Wildlife Conflict provides, among other measures, for reporting, fences, protection of communal fields, improved water and fence management and action by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks against problem animals. A 140-kilometre non-lethal electric fence has been built along the southern boundary of Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan. Eligible species, rates and conditions for compensation depend on the applicable law and procedure.