Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, David R. Boyd, visited Botswana from 3 to 11 October 2023. The purpose of the visit was to examine the implementation of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in Botswana, to identify good practices and to investigate the environmental challenges that the country faces. Botswana, which is a leader in nature conservation, is home to several global biodiversity hotspots. However, the State faces multiple human rights and environmental challenges, including lack of access to safe and sufficient water and adequate sanitation, the global climate crisis, human-wildlife conflict, pollution and inadequate waste management. In addition, extreme economic inequality contributes to environmental inequality that jeopardizes the full enjoyment of human rights, especially for the most marginalized and vulnerable groups. In his recommendations, the Special Rapporteur encourages Botswana to recognize the right to a healthy environment in law at the national level, to prioritize the fulfilment of the rights to water and sanitation for all, to accelerate the transition to renewable energy by becoming a solar superpower and to address challenges regarding the procedural elements of the right to a healthy environment.