Programming
Climate Change Education and Awareness
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Greening The Young Minds
The program is a nation-wide pilot initiative that is meant to integrate sustainable initiatives through all levels of education and school portfolio. And utilize the school as an exit point for sustainable agriculture, climate change information and renewable energy. The program appreciates the need to instil sustainability from a young age, in order to prepare the young people to tackle climate change in their early stages, consequently building a climate resilient generation that upholds green pathways and is responsive to current developments in climate change agenda.
Climate Change Response Dialogues
The Botswana Climate Change Network facilitates dialogue on climate change agenda through organising dialogues among various stakeholders. The Network has since 2013 facilitated Pre and Post Conference of Parties dialogues, Africa Ministerial Conference on Environment preparatory meetings, national stakeholder and civil society dialogues on climate change among others. The dialogues provides an opportunity for practitioners , communities, policy makers and scientists to discuss and engage on a number of interconnected themes , and debate on topical issues , share innovations and demonstrate best practices.
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Research and Development
The program aims to explore innovative research in order to advance the understanding of physical, chemical and biological components of the earth system, the causes and consequences of climate and land use change, and vulnerability and resilience to such changes.
Advocacy, Training and Capacity Building
The program includes as its components, training of trainers in project planning and management, skills transfer in climate change adaptation and green technologies. The Network partners with research and vocational training institutions which are making practical means to climate change adaptation. The program provides capacity building on climate change for various stakeholders – Journalists, Unions, Parliamentarians, and private companies among others. The Network sees the need to work with various stakeholders in advocacy initiatives in order to generate stronger public attention, monitor and influence climate negotiations and policies.
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Greening Women Enterprises: Renewable Energy Products and Services
The Botswana Climate Change Network (BCCN), an NGO situated in Gaborone, Botswana, is collaborating with the United States Embassy (E-USA) in Gaborone, through the Regional Environment Office, to execute a two-year initiative named "Empowering Women's Enterprises in Green Energy – Decentralized Renewable Products and Services."
The overarching aim is to pinpoint sustainable green energy solutions that can be adopted by rural women, thus enhancing their livelihoods and facilitating their transition to cleaner energy sources.
This initiative spans three countries within the Southern African region, with key partners being the Botswana Climate Change Network (BCCN) in Botswana, Christian International (CI) in Eswatini, and the Geography and Environmental Movement (GEM) in Lesotho.
The initiative extends its reach and welcomes participation from grassroots female entrepreneurs from other Southern African nations, such as South Africa.
Read More: https://medium.com/@botsccn/botswana-climate-change-networks-greening-women-enterprises-project-empowering-women-and-86d329f6d01f
Climate Change , Agriculture and Food Security
Climate change has far reaching impacts on crop, livestock and fisheries production and can change the prevalence of crop pests. Botswana Climate Change Network focuses on action oriented agenda , where it works to address climate challenges by ensuring agriculture research , adaptation actions are relevant to those most vulnerable to climate change , and combination of adaptation and mitigation actions .
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Transport
In an effort to ensure that Botswana moves towards a low carbon trajectory, Botswana Climate Change Network explores the adoption of renewable energy and improved transport systems through demonstration projects. Renewable energy is one of the most effective tools that we can we utilise to fight climate change. Renewable energy has over the years experienced tremendous growth and huge costs improvements. Prices area declining and renewable energy is becoming increasingly competitive with fossil fuels .Installation of low energy, zero polluting street PV powered street lighting and traffic signals can save lives especially in accident prone areas, while cycling can contribute to achieving lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout Botswana.
Mining and Community Development
Botswana Climate Change Network is working closely with communities to raise awareness and sensitise about the impacts of coal mining on the environment. BCCN focuses on capacitating the local communities about the threats of mining , its severe ecological , social and economic damage . The organisations assists communities to create platforms where villagers and relevant authorities are able to communicate the ongoing mine developments in their respective village’s future prospects of these developments. It is important that regulations are put in place to mandate mines to plan for environmental consequences brought by mining during operation through to decommissioning. Regulatory certainties with regards to greenhouse gas mitigation need to be establiblished before mitigation efforts take hold in the mining sector.
Gender and Climate Change
There is evidence of lack of integration of gender equality as a cross cutting issue in responding to the impacts of climate change. This is further perpetuated by lack of gender disaggregated vulnerability and capacity data that can effectively assist in addressing disaster risk reduction and response interventions.Â
Women are better positioned than men to build a more climate resilient society and to put into place climate change mitigation measures in the home, in small farms and also in the work place. To this end, the Botswana Climate Change Network is committed to mainstreaming gender in its projects, governance, working structures, programmes and project delivery. The Botswana Climate Change Network is aware that gender sensitivities are particularly pronounced in the areas of disaster risk reduction, public health, water resources management, and agriculture and food security. However, there is an opportunity to align with emerging adaptation and resilience efforts with NAP’s, NAPA’s and INDC’s, including national response actions for disaster risk reduction. The development and implementation of gender responsive frameworks presents an opportunity to mainstream gender and ensure that countries adopt gender-responsive adaptation actions and does not leave anyone behind. Further, it is the inclusion of women in the development of such policies and participation at the UNFCCC COP negotiations. Creation of space for women at the climate change negotiations and strengthening of women’s voices will ensure that women’s concerns are adequately addressed in climate agreements, national and regional adaptation plans. National development plans that resonate well with gender sensitive sustainable climate programmes for climate resilience can go a long way in ensuring that communities withstand climate shocks. The BCCN 2016-2020 Strategic Plan will include projects and measures that amplify awareness in civil society of the role of women and campaign to empower them to maximise this potential.