ENVIRONMENT BOTSWANA NEWS - March-May 2004

This news service is provided to you by IUCN Botswana to facilitate the sharing of information of the environment in Botswana. Please notice that news and information in this newsletter reflect what has been brought to our attention by our readers and other sources and is not necessarily reflecting all environmental news in Botswana. IUCN is not responsible for the factual correctness of the information. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN.

Click here to go to the Environment Botswana News Archive which consists of only the News chapter appearing in the previous monthly Environment Botswana Newsletters (News from newsletters published since year 2000 only).

For further general news on IUCN Botswana come and visit our website http://www.iucnbot.bw/

CONTENT

NEWS

EQUATOR INITIATIVE ANNOUNCES SEVEN WINNERS AT CBD COP
Seven tropical community initiatives have been awarded the Equator Initiative Prize. Selected from a pool of over 340 nominations and 26 finalists, the seven winning initiatives, which received $30,000 each, were recognized for their exceptional achievements in reducing poverty through conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Announced at the recent meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the winners are Colombia's Proyecto Nasa, Mexico's Comunidad Indigena de Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, India's Genetic Resource, Energy, Ecology and Nutrition Foundation, Indonesia's Bunaken National Park Management Advisory Board and Bunaken Concerned Citizen's Forum, Tanzania's Rufiji Environment Management Project and Namibia's Torra Conservancy. Brazil's Sociedade Civil Mamirauá was given special recognition for pioneering the creation of Sustainable Development Reserves in Brazil within a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Spearheaded by UNDP, the Equator Initiative is a partnership initiative that brings together the UN, governments, civil society, the private sector and local groups with the aim of enhancing the capacity and raising the profile of grassroots efforts that promote sustainable communities in developing countries within the equatorial belt. Other partners in the initiative include BrasilConnects, the government of Canada, Conservation International, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Development Research Centre, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, Television Trust for the Environment, and the United Nations Foundation.
(By UNDP Equator Initiative) http://www.undp.org/equatorinitiative/secondary/2004-winners.htm

BIODIVERSITY ESSENTIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION
On the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May), Kofi Annan recalled that "biological diversity is essential for human existence and has a crucial role to play in sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. Biodiversity provides millions of people with livelihoods, helps to ensure food security and is a rich source of both traditional medicines and modern pharmaceuticals." Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, highlighted that the theme of this year's International Day for Biological Diversity, Biodiversity and poverty alleviation - challenges for sustainable development, underscores the pivotal role of biological diversity in eradicating poverty through sustainable development and benefit sharing. (CBD Secretariat Press Release, 22 May 2003)

BIRDLIFE BOTSWANA OPENS OFFICE
BirdLife Botswana, former Botswana Bird Club, has opened an office in Gaborone at Molapo Crossing Mall; located just before the Grand Palm Hotel along the Gaborone - Molepolole road.
Formed as a branch of the Botswana Society in 1980, the Botswana Bird Club (BBC) was established to fill the void in knowledge and interest on birds that existed then in Botswana, and still to a certain extent remains today, despite the great strides made by the BBC and the club, under its current name, BirdLife Botswana. In 2000 the BBC became independent and moved into the offices of the local branch of IUCN (the World Conservation Union) and became the official BirdLife International representative for Botswana also. The change of name from the Botswana Bird Club to BirdLife Botswana also heralded a change in focus from a broadly social club with interests in bird conservation, to a more formal science and research-based organisation. Since 1980, the organisation has published biannually the journal, 'Babbler' and a quarterly newsletter, the 'Familiar Chat' has been published since 1990. The organisation also publishes biannually a Bird Conservation Newsletter.
BirdLife Botswana is party to and subscribes to the objectives of BirdLife International, which are to use birds as a stepping-stone to achieving the conservation of species, sites and habitats, at the same time ensuring that people residing near these resources are mobilised and empowered to sustain care for the birds and the wider natural environment. The strong focus on birds has been due to the fact that birds serve as useful environmental indicators; helping us locate important biodiversity areas and alerting us to environmental change. This is in addition to their other values, e.g. cultural, aesthetic and economic values.
If you have any bird-related project or programme, or need to know anything about what we do (including our publications), please contact us at:
BirdLife Botswana, Private Bag 003, Suite 348, Mogoditshane, Gaborone, BOTSWANA, Email: blb@birdlifebotswana.org.bw, Phone: ++267 371 0050, Fax:++267 371 0058 (Attn: BirdLife Botswana) or Visit our website http://www.birdlifebotswana.org.bw/ and also find our Bird Conservation Newsletter.
Physical address: Office 49A, Molapo Crossing Mall, (office shared with Afritourism (Ltd))
(Article by Kabelo Senyatso (Conservation Officer))

ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF "FROM THE SHADE INTO THE SUN"
A documentary examining conflicts between governments, communities and wildlife in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park . Harare, Zimbabwe, April 16 2004 (IUCN) - IUCN launches today "From the Shade into the sun" - a documentary that explores what effects the introduction of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) will have on communities living in and around the parks of Kruger (South Africa), Gonarezhou (Zimbabwe) and Limpopo (Mozambique).
Transboundary Initiatives such as the GLTP are expected to significantly boost regional economic growth and increase tourism inflow. This comes at a price and the people mostly affected are the communities.
Thirty thousand Mozambicans live in the area targeted for the mega park. They do not want to move. The Zimbabwe part of the Great Limpopo Park hinterland is also bitterly contested. The Chitsa people, evicted from their homeland thirty years ago, have already resettled in the park, claiming the land as their natural birthright. Also in Zimbabwe, the people of Sengwe Communal Lands, living in an area where a new corridor joining Gonarezhou National Park to the GLTP is proposed, cannot see any benefit from moving. If the GLTP project proceeds without the collaboration of these communities, poverty, anger and frustration may well lead to further conflicts between the communities and the new Transfrontier Park
Despite these and other issues, the governments of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and other stakeholders are fully behind the implementation of the GLTP and see it as an initiative that holds hope for the greater challenge of supporting the livelihoods of communities living in and around this mega park.
This documentary is available at IUCN Regional Office for Southern Africa. For more Information contact: Caroline Gwature, Media and Communications Assistant, IUCN ROSA Tel. + 263 4 728 266/7; Fax: +00 263 4 720 738; carolineg@iucnrosa.org.zw or visit the website http://iucnrosa.org.zw/

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE SEED AWARDS
Do you have an innovative or entrepreneurial idea for a partnership project that may contribute to sustainable development? A new concept that brings together people and organisations from different backgrounds? A project that enables partners to pool their human and financial resources, experience, local knowledge and connections? That allows partners to meet goals they could not reach working by themselves?
A new initiative is ready to help you implement your ideas and make them a success. The Seed Initiative (Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development) is a joint effort by a network of international organisations - from global organisations such as IUCN, UNEP and UNDP to national organisations such as Development Alternatives and LEAD Pakistan, who are passionate about promoting the entrepreneurial spirit of partnerships for sustainable development at grassroots level. They have launched the Seed Initiative to recognise new partnership approaches and encourage entrepreneurs to take action for environment and development.
One element of the Seed Initiative is the biennial Seed Awards - an international competition to seek out your most promising innovative or entrepreneurial ideas for action through partnership, and to help you make those ideas work. The award itself is not monetary but a comprehensive, individually-designed package of support, training, connections and facilitated access to funders, to give winning partnerships every prospect of success.
Who should apply? We welcome innovative or entrepreneurial ideas from any group in the process of planning and setting up a partnership project that:
· involves at least three partner organisations from different stakeholder groups;
· relates to the three pillars of sustainable development: environmental, social, and economic, and has the potential to contribute towards the Millennium Development Goals and/or the Johannesburg Summit Plan of Implementation;
· displays entrepreneurship in its broadest sense, by the private sector and/or others and is driven by the local actors, such as micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMMEs) or others;
· helps to demonstrate innovative ways of doing business through partnerships - "business as unusual" - and has the potential to serve as inspiration to others;
· has a draft business plan and has partners that have already agreed in principle to work together.
Deadline and further information
Submissions are being accepted from May 1st 2004 with the final deadline of August 15th 2004. Early submission is highly recommended as this may allow initial feedback to be given to help you improve your application.
For full information about the Seed Awards, please see the Seed Website: http://seedinit.org/
Seed Initiative Focal Point Email: info@seedinit.org Tel: +44 1865 202 669 Fax: +44 870 1319582

SHARING WATER: SUPPORTING OKACOM IN THE OKAVANGO / KUBANGO BASIN
Beginning in the mountainous highlands of central Angola, then coursing through arid Namibia and Botswana, before terminating in the vast and biologically abundant and diverse inland wetland known as the Okavango Delta, the Okavango / Kubango River Basin represents one of the most ecologically unique river systems in the world. In addition, the Okavango / Kubango River Basin remains unaltered by large scale human disturbance.
The riparian countries, Angola, Namibia, and Botswana formed the Permanent Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM) in 1994 to work toward the future sustainable management of the Basin. However, despite the strong foundation of regional cooperative spirit and the international attention and resources generated from the high profile of the ecology of the Basin, the process of moving toward a sustainable management plan and eventual treaty between Basin States has been slow to develop. As Angola, the basin State where 95 percent of the water flow originates, settles into its first period of peace in some 30 years, it is likely that pace towards the development of a management plan, and ultimately a treaty between the three countries will accelerate.
Within this complex social, environmental, and political milieu an initiative was launched in 2003 entitled Sharing Water: Towards a Transboundary Consensus on the Management of the Okavango River Basin. This initiative focuses its efforts on moving the overall process of basin wide collaboration, cooperation, and sustainable management forward, with a strong emphasis on providing sound technical tools to aid in this process.
Sharing Water is implemented by the Natural Heritage Institute and IUCN ROSA, with basin partners IUCN Botswana, Juventude Ecologica Angolana, Namibia Nature Foundation; technical partners Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Center, Council on Scientific and Industrial Research, Research and Information Services Namibia; and negotiation, joint fact finding, and transboundary river basin management partners CONCUR and the African Water Issues Research Unit. Sharing Water is funded by the United States Agency for International Development Regional Office for Southern Africa (USAID/RCSA) in support of the objectives of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM).
Sharing Water explores Angola's Okavango / Kubango Headwaters
For the first time, on October 30, 2003, an international group of Okavango / Kubango basin stakeholders traveled together to Menongue and Caiundo, Angola to explore the previously inaccessible headwaters of the Okavango / Kubango River. The group, comprised of representatives of non-profits, civil servants, and government officials from the three Okavango / Kubango basin states, visited the Angolan headwaters as part of the Sharing Water project's workshop in Angola.
Sharing Water project core participants and workshops: In order to support the critical foundation of stakeholder participation in the future management of the Okavango / Kubango Basin, the Sharing Water project invited 30 core participants (10 from each basin country) to participate in three project workshops October 2003, March 2004, and July 2004. These participants were chosen to represent a middle strata of stakeholders (between community level and high level government officials) who are involved in data collection, analysis, or management and were drawn from government departments, NGO's, traditional leaders, and businesses.
The Sharing Water project is facilitating a process of joint fact finding through which the core participants can build the skills necessary to share scientific data and local knowledge to help build and evaluate a range of basin management scenarios. Ideally this process will set the stage for participants to effectively engage with OKACOM to develop an Integrated Management Plan for the Basin that incorporates the wise and sustainable management of the system to meet socio-economic and ecological goals from local to international levels.
Sharing Water Current Actions include a website, an online/shared database, legal&institutional analysis, river basin planning model and management startegies. For more information on the project and its outputs please visit the website http://www.sharingwater.net/.

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM AWARDS
Reuters Foundation and IUCN - The World Conservation Union Launch 2004 Media Awards for Excellence in Environmental Reporting. London and Gland, Switzerland, 22 March 2004 (Reuters Foundation/IUCN) - Reuters Foundation and IUCN today launch 2004 Media Awards, a worldwide competition aimed at raising global awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues, by encouraging excellence in environmental reporting worldwide.
Since the launch of the Awards in 1998, 32 reporters have been recognised for outstanding environmental journalism by the Global Master Jury chaired by Her Majesty Queen Noor, IUCN Patron. These journalists come from countries as diverse as Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Great Britain, Kenya, Macedonia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Togo, USA, and Zimbabwe. "Through this competition we are looking for examples of high-quality, investigative and inspired reporting that helps both the decision-makers and the public assume their responsibility for protecting social equity, human rights and the environment," H.M. Queen Noor said.
Journalists working in print and online media are invited to submit entries to 2004 Reuters-IUCN Media Awards. One winner from six regions - Latin America; North America, including the Caribbean and Oceania; Europe; Asia; English-speaking Africa, including the Middle East and French-speaking Africa will be invited to attend the Global Awards Ceremony taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2004. The global winner will receive a cash prize of US$5'000.
All submissions must have been published between 01 January 2003 and 15 August 2004. Candidates may submit one article only, accompanied by an entry form, to the nearest IUCN office. Entries written in a language other than English, French or Spanish must be accompanied by a translation. The deadline for entries is 31 August 2004.
More information and application forms can be found on the Reuters Foundation website at:
http://www.foundation.reuters.com/ and IUCN website at http://iucn.org/reuters.
For more information contact:
Jo Weir Reuters Foundation Tel: +44 (0)20 7542 58 72 mailto:jo.weir@reuters.comor Caroline Gwature IUCN - The World Conservation Union Regional Office for southern Africa Tel: +263 91 392 129 carolineg@iucnrosa.org.zw

COMMENTS FROM THE READERS
(By Bertrand des Clers, Member Emeritus, IUCN/Species Survival Commission)
"Your News of January-February 2004 entitled "Declining lion pride threatens Botswana eco-tourism" signed Mmegi, January 23rd 2004, prompts from my part an apparently timely- since the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks is now worried- and apparently much-needed rebuttal on some of the information which has been emanating from BBC News, the UK but also from Kasane itself, concerning the conservation status of the African Lion. Inaccurate information culminated with the BBC's News Online reporting last October on a lecture by "a British scientist" at the Zoological Society of London on his study of lions during 4-5 years in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and Makgadikgadi NP in Botswana. The BBC journalist refers to Prof. David McDonald, of Oxford University, as saying "fewer than 20,000 lions may now survive in the whole of Africa, though they do not face immediate extinction". He then goes on to state that "this" compares with a population put at about 200,000 in the early 1980's"(!). This is a scientifically irresponsible statement as nobody knows how many lions were around twenty years ago. The first attempt at a continent-wide estimate was made by the IUCN African Lion Working Group (ALWG), in early 2002, giving an estimate of lion numbers in National Parks and protected areas, and circulated a figure of 20,000 animals; a status survey had been under way by IUCN member the International Foundation for the Conservation of Wildlife (IGF), covering all the lion's range, including lion populations outside protected areas, and came up in late 2002 with a figure of roughly 40,000 lions, which in effect demonstrates that the two surveys match each other pretty well and are probably close to reality (this last survey was widely distributed in the African range States, but not in Oxfordshire).Mr. McDonald's also claims that "there are only 42 adult male lions in Hwange", which must be compared with the fact that "there are approximately 500 lions in Hwange NP, and the population was stable from 1973 to 1989, and had grown in 1997 to maybe 1,000 animals (ref. V. Wilson/IGF)".The IGF/Conservation Force publication - 171 pages, including maps and photos -, can be ordered and excerpts viewed on their website http://www.wildlife-conservation.org/. Other recommended reading, from Prof. Craig Packer, a true scientist whose team has been studying lions in East Africa and particularly in the Serengeti for 20 years "Sustainable trophy hunting of African lions", in Nature AOP, published online 22 February 2004".

TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND COURSES

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION'S MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT OF BIODIVERSITY PROGRAM INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION CURRICULUM FOR 2004.
The two complementary courses that form this year's curriculum offer a complete and essential program for conservation biologists, ecologists, resource managers and environmental leaders. Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring Course - May 9 - June 11, 2004 -This intensive five-week SI/MAB course is a must for resource managers, ecologists, biologists, environmental educators and consultants. It is led by more than 30 internationally recognised instructors and speakers. The course is divided into eight modules, the first of which provides a framework for biodiversity assessment and monitoring, strengthened by a basic background in Geographical Information Systems and statistics. Six modules follow on assessment and monitoring of vegetation, aquatic systems, arthropods, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and mammals. The final module integrates the preceding seven and focuses on developing site-based multi-taxa monitoring for adaptive management. Investment: US$4,500. The Smithsonian Environmental Leadership Course - September 12 - 24, 2004 - Strong leadership skills are essential for effective conservation. The communication skills and strategies of exceptional leaders are taught in this course in a friendly learning environment. The Smithsonian Environmental Leadership course includes the exploration of topics such as Foundation Skills for the Environmental Leader, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Strategies, Creating Compelling Futures, and Impactful Environmental Communication. The learning structure of the course is composed of demonstrations, background information, and personal and group exercises. Speakers and numerous case-specific examples are presented. Investment: US$2,750. Fees for both courses cover tuition, lodging, meals, local transportation, and course materials. Airfare to and from Washington D.C., or health insurance are not included. See <http://www.si.edu/simab> or contact Ms. Olga H. MacBryde, Education and Training Coordinator, Smithsonian Institution MAB Program, PO Box 37012, Attn: MRC 705, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 USA. Tel:+1-202.357-4793; Fax: +1-202.786-2557. Email: ohm@ic.si.edu

PEOPLE, POVERTY AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, A REGIONAL TRAIN THE TRAINERS COURSE 23 TO 27 AUGUST, 2004, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Regional Office for southern Africa (IUCN ROSA) and the Centre for Applied Social Sciences (CASS) at the University of Zimbabwe, have been involved in a training partnership that delivered a regional six-weeks course entitled " Human and Social Science Perspectives in Natural Resources management." The partnership was broadened to include the Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) and now delivers an even richer training course on People, Poverty and Natural Resources Management. The training course is made possible through a grant from the Development Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and through the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).
The course aims to raise awareness and develop skills focusing on the inter-disciplinary integration of socio-economic perspectives in natural resource management for networking in the areas as forestry, fisheries, and water, etc.
Emphasising the Southern African context, the course will cover social issues relevant in sustainable resource management focusing on the skills needed to build bridges between professionals and rural communities.
Natural resource managers gain a holistic approach towards natural resource management that also emphasises fostering a constructive dialogue with their rural constituents.
To date seven regional courses on social science perspectives in natural resource management have been held. Participants who attended the 7 courses held to date were drawn from all the SADC countries. The course has provided a platform for sharing of practical experiences and lessons learnt from the region. Over the years, there has been a continuous needs assessment and updating of the course curriculum to ensure the course remains relevant to the needs of natural resource managers in southern Africa.
Why a train the trainers course on People, Poverty and Natural Resource Management?
Local communities are the focus for much that needs to be done in making the change to living sustainably, but there is little they can do if they lack the power to act.
Caring for the Earth, recognises that people are most likely to care for natural resources when they can assess their own problems and resources, plan their own initiatives, maintain a sound degree of control over local natural resources and " development" process and when, by protecting the environment, they can also manage to satisfy their needs.
Promoting the social conditions for this to happen is becoming increasingly more recognised by institutions throughout Southern Africa.
The motivation behind training trainers on social perspectives in natural resource management is to encourage them to them to run courses that address issues relating to people, poverty and natural resource management. By running a train the trainers' course, it is hoped that the sustainability of this initiative will be enhanced.

Participation: The course is targeted at qualified trainers with at least two years training experience in the field of natural resource management. It will equip trainers to design and run a short course on People, Poverty and Natural Resource Management for middle level natural resource managers from government and non-governmental organisations.

Course Objectives: The course aims to equip trainers to run courses that address issues related to the linkages between people, poverty and natural resource management for middle level natural resource managers. This will include:
· An overview of the course and its structure
· An introduction to the course modules
· An appreciation of the participatory training methods
· A presentation on the course administration
Modules
· Course design and programme
· Introduction to course modules
· Participatory training methods
· Course administration
· Practical application of skills (field trip)

Applications are invited from trainers who provide training in the field of natural resource management from universities, training institutions, government departments and NGO's. The deadline for submission of applications is 19 July, 2004.

Applications are required to indicate what contribution they can make towards meeting the costs of the course. The contribution may be towards covering all costs of the course or a component thereof. The estimated costs are:
· Tuition fees - Euro 550.00
· Accommodation, meals and incidentals - Euro 500.00
· Airfares (depends on where the participant is coming from)
A limited number of bursaries are available.

For more information on the course content and application form please contact: Carmel Mbizvo E-mail: carmelm@iucnrosa.org.zw at IUCN ROSA Regional Policy Programme Box 745 Harare, Zimbabwe Tel:263-4-738691/5/6 Fax: 263-4-738691/720738

The completed application forms should be submitted to: Stella Musiiwa Regional Policy Programme IUCN ROSA Box 745 Belgravia, Harare Zimbabwe Tel: 263-4-738691/5/6 Fax: 263-4-738694/720738 E-mail: stellam@iucnrosa.org.zw

UPCOMING EVENTS

1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 27 June to 04 July 2004, Information and Registration at http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/wca

6th INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE RANCHING SYMPOSIUM: The International Foundation for the Conservation of Wildlife, in partnership with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National
Museum of Natural History, the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, and CIRAD,
is very pleased to announce the convening of the 6th International Wildlife Ranching Symposium. The Symposium will be held at the National Museum of Natural History, in Paris, France, from 6 to 9 July 2004. Please find attached the first announcement and call for papers for this important scientific and environmental event. The organisers are expecting a wide audience of representatives of Governments, NGOs and communities, wildlife specialists and
professionals, from around the world. If you wish to participate, you are cordially invited to fill in and return the attached registration form without delay, as places are limited. For more information please contact: Fondation Internationale pour la Sauvegarde de la Faune International Foundation for the Conservation of Wildlife 15, rue de Téhéran - 75008 Paris, France e-mail : igf@fondation-igf.fr

7TH INTECOL INTERNATIONAL WETLANDS CONFERENCE
Under the auspices of INTECOL, Utrecht University will organise the 7th INTECOL Wetlands Conference in Utrecht, The Netherlands, from the 25th to the 30th of July 2004. All wetland scientists and water resource managers across the globe are kindly invited to participate in this meeting. For detailed information please visit the Conference web site http://www.bio.uu.nl/INTECOL

IWA WATER AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: 28 July 2004 - 30 July 2004. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Organised by the International Water Association (IWA) and the University of Zimbabwe's Department of Civil Engineering, this conferences aims to: promote the concept of appropriate technologies for water and wastewater management; enhance linkages between institutions, practitioners and research groups working on low-cost waste treatment and waste recycling systems; and promote collaborative research and development. For more information contact: WAMDEC 2004 Secretariat; tel: +263-4-303-288; fax: +263-4-303-288; e-mail: mailto:%20wamdec2004@eng.uz.ac.zw; Internet: http://www.uz.ac.zw/engineering/civil/wamdec2004

WORLD WATER CONGRESS: 19 September 2004-24 September 2004. Marrakech, Morocco. The World Water Congress, sponsored by the International Water Association (IWA), will bring together all those interested in sustainable water resources management. Topics to be discussed include: operating water and wastewater systems; integrated water resource and river basin management; and water and health. For more information contact: International Water Association; tel: +44-20-7654-5500; fax: +44-20-7654-5555; e-mail: mailto:%20water@iwahq.org.uk; Internet: http://www.iwa2004marrakech.com/

WORKSHOP ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT: GOVERNANCE, INSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES: 8 November 2004 - 11 November 2004. Loskop Dam, South Africa. This workshop will convene researchers and policy and development agents to discuss issues relating to water management for local sustainable development, with a focus on rural development. For more information contact: Sylvain Perret; e-mail: sylvain.perret@cirad.fr; Internet: http://wrm2004.cirad.fr/

3RD IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: PEOPLE AND NATURE, ONLY ONE WORLD: 17 November 2004 - 25 November 2004. Bangkok, Thailand. Organized by IUCN - the World Conservation Union, the Congress will consist of a three-day World Conservation Forum and a four-day Members' Business Assembly. During the Forum, IUCN members, partners and interested stakeholders will debate options that safeguard the ecosystems upon which future prosperity depends. During the Assembly, IUCN members - governments and NGOs - will approve the 2005-2008 IUCN Programme Framework and Financial Plan, elect officers, consider resolutions and recommendations, and set the membership dues. For more information contact: Ursula Hiltbrunner, IUCN; tel: +41-22-999-0232; fax: +41-22-999-0020; e-mail: ursula.hiltbrunner@iucn.org; Internet: http://www.iucn.org/about/resolutions.htm

N/A

Distribution-Mailing List
To be added or removed from the distribution list of this news letter, contact IUCN Botswana. Please also do not hesitate to contact us for further information, comments and suggestions on the 'Environment Botswana News'. Please mark emails re the newsletter with 'Environment Botswana News'. The newsletter is also available on the IUCN Botswana website: http://www.iucnbot.bw/

Greetings from IUCN Botswana

Last Updated: May 31, 2004

Please e-mail comments, questions to IUCN Botswana