Renewable energy could save Okavango Delta

There is hope that the political will to move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy will reduce reliance on fossil fuels in environmental sensitive areas such as Okavango Delta, though the new government has not made commitment to timelines as to when the roadmap from fossil fuels to renewable energy will kickstart. University of Botswana, Okavango Research Institute (ORI) Director, Professor Joseph Mbaiwa is of the view that the new administration under President Duma Boko commitment towards moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a welcome development. His concern is that though there is a political will to move from fossil fuels to renewable energy, there are no timelines as to when the project will be implemented. 

Boko indicated in his State of the Nation (SONA) that his government will prioritise moving away from fossil fuels that are known to be contributing to effects of climate change. 

On the other hand, Prof Mbaiwa has emphasised the need for government to prioritise a subsidy for adoption of renewable energy in Okavango Delta. He said the provision of the subsidy to tourism infrastructures such as hotels and lodges will reduce the over reliance on fossil fuels that have proven to be detrimental to the environment. 

He said there is an appetite for use of renewable energy among foreign own large tourism companies. “Many foreign owned tourism outfits have invested heavily in renewable energy in the past,” said Prof Mbaiwa, adding that the challenge currently is that locally owned tourism business are unable to invest in renewable energy that could turn Okavango Delta in fossil free wetland. 

Prof Mbaiwa has indicated that though local financier’s such as banks understand the importance of renewable energy, the local investors tend to shy away from renewable energy which needs a lot of money to venture into renewable energy. “It is not like local banks are not committed to financing clean energy but it is too expensive for a citizen owned tourism business,” said Mbaiwa, adding that studies have shown that the tourism industry in most of the tourism hot spot areas are moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy. 

He said that the challenge is that locally owned tourism business lack financial resources hence the need for subsidy. He noted that in the the past regime, the government wanted to monopolise the generation of electricity. “In other countries individuals generate electricity where the government in turn buy the electricity from certain individuals. This could provide opportunity for individuals who can access finance from local banks,” added Prof Mbaiwa, indicating that it is imperative for government to offer subsidy which could attract more people to invest in renewable energy. 

Prof Mbaiwa is of the view that the new government should have clearly stated the timeline as opposed to rhetoric that was previously known with the past regime. “Researchers were promised billions that was supposed to go towards the research and even up to now we don’t know about the whereabouts of those billions,” said Mbaiwa. 

He said that Botswana stand to benefit funding from international community for embarking on renewable energy if the government is serious about the move because the whole world is emphasising the need to move away from fossil fuels.