image credit: birdlife botswana
Mining extraction company Botash has joined hands with Birdlife Botswana in a three year relationship supporting the conservation of the flamingo breeding areas in the Makgadikgadi salt pans and the development of the reserve into a viable tourist attraction.
Botswana Ash (BotAsh) has become the first corporate entity to support Birdlife Botswana in their aspirations to develop a flamingo reserve. The salt mine is located on Sua Pan, close to the breeding areas for the flamingoes, one of the largest sites in Africa (other associated sites located within the Makgadikgadi include Mosu, Mokubilo, Mmea, and Mmatshumu).
Botash has also committed to release its staff to help educate the communities on basic entrepreneurship skills, book keeping, marketing, customer service, desk office, to prepare them for the envisaged opportunities. Birdlife Botswana will also teach communities tour guiding and other tour operating skills.
The Makgadikgaid Salt Pans are home to some of the world's largest concentrations of flamingos and the aim is to make the area a tourist hotspot. Besides the beauty of flamingoes, there is also the Old Khama Ruins, the Fossil Tree, Kokonje Island and Lekhubu Island, which are currently open access areas.
With 580 bird species, Botswana is among the fifty most species-rich countries in the world. Specialised bird-watching tourism contributes US$80 billion per year to the global tourism industry.
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