Botswana has been the front-runner among core WAVES countries in constructing water accounts. As a next step, policy makers are familiarizing themselves with the accounts so they can use them in their day-to-day work on development planning. WAVES conducted an awareness-raising workshop to highlight the links between economic growth and NCA.

The Capacity Building workshop was held on August 28, 2013 at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, south of the capital Gaborone and was attended by almost 30 participants from a wide range of stakeholder organizations including Government and private sector. Members of the WAVES Steering Committee, who provide oversight and guidance to WAVES Botswana, also participated in the workshop.

In his opening remarks, Secretary for Economic and Financial Policy at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Dr. Taufila Nyamadzabo, expressed optimism and urgency for institutionalization of natural capital accounting in pursuit of sustainable development. The workshop was chaired by Botswana’s Accountant General, Ms. E.A. Peloetletse.

The workshop generated a lot of interest and participants were interested in knowing more about how best to use NCA in decision making. They also expressed desire for more capacity-building opportunities in the future. The workshop was officially closed by Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Development and Planning, Mr. L.B Mannathoko.

In 2012, WAVES-Botswana coordinated an update of the country's water accounts based on direction from the Botswana Economic Advisory Council (BEAC) and the President of Botswana. Water accounts are a collection of data on water stocks and flows, water rights and water use. The preliminary results from the accounts were presented to the Government in November 2012, and in late September will be shared with key water stakeholders, including agriculture and mining officials, as well as representatives for farmers and households.

Further work on water accounts is planned in order to look at water use in more detail. Officials have expressed that water accounts be institutionalized and mainstreamed at the highest levels of Government.

BEAC is still fully engaged and interested in NCA and how it can be integrated with the country’s broader development goals, said WAVES-Botswana’s Country Coordinator Charity Kruger.

The rest of the WAVES work plan was reviewed by the newly constituted Steering Committee in late August in order to integrate it with the recommendations of the Midterm Review of the 10th National Development Plan (NDP10) and preparations for NDP11. The committee is exploring what other accounts to embark on, and is considering accounts for minerals, tourism and macroeconomic indicators. They plan to announce a decision mid-September.