Projekt Ökoexist
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Projekt Ökoexist
Elephants and People: Shared Landscapes, Shared Futures
Was ist das Ecoexist-Projekt?
Die Projekt Ökoexist ist eine Naturschutzinitiative mit Sitz in Botswana, die sich für die Förderung der Koexistenz zwischen lokalen Gemeinschaften und Elefanten im Okavango Delta Region. Das Projekt befasst sich mit den Herausforderungen des Konflikts zwischen Mensch und Elefant und setzt auf Forschung und Engagement der Gemeinschaft, um nachhaltige Lösungen zu entwickeln, die sowohl den Menschen als auch den Wildtieren zugute kommen.
Through monitoring elephant movements, promoting responsible land use, and implementing conflict mitigation strategies, the Ecoexist Project empowers communities to protect their livelihoods while preserving the vital habitats of one of the world’s largest elephant populations.
Elefanten, lebenswichtige Forschung und Strategien für die Koexistenz
Botswana is home to Africa's largest elephant population, estimated at around 130,000, creating one of the highest elephant-to-human ratios in the world. Many more elephants inhabit neighbouring regions of Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, spanning an immense 440,000 square kilometres (about 169,000 square miles) across the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). Like humans, elephants need space, food, and water to thrive, but in places like the Okavango Delta Panhandle, this overlap of needs can make coexistence especially challenging.
The Panhandle is a vital migratory corridor, linking dryland resources in the north and west with the wetlands of the Okavango River and Delta. Some elephants travel transboundary routes into Namibia, Zambia, and Angola via Wildlife Dispersal Areas, while others remain within the Panhandle. Yet, the eastern Panhandle itself lacks access to essential services and economic opportunities, intensifying pressures on communities that share the landscape with elephants.
For more than 15 years, the Ecoexist Project has been researching and monitoring elephants in this region to understand their movements, behaviours, and land-use patterns. This science underpins responsible land-use planning, helping farmers cultivate fields in areas less prone to elephant conflict. Just as importantly, Ecoexist connects this research to community engagement: empowering local people with conflict-mitigation strategies, education, and tools to safeguard their livelihoods. By protecting elephant pathways and promoting coexistence, the project develops sustainable solutions where both people and wildlife can flourish.

Go2Africa’s Partnership With Ecoexist Project
Unsere Partnerschaft beginnt damit, dass wir die Xoa Elephant Dung Paper Making Group dabei unterstützen, ihr Musterprodukt auf den Markt zu bringen, wobei wir uns insbesondere an lokale Safari-Lodges wenden. Derzeit werden etwa 80% der in Botswana gelagerten Produkte und des Kunsthandwerks importiert. Die Regierung drängt die Tourismusindustrie, diese Dynamik zu ändern und 80% der Produkte aus lokaler Produktion zu beziehen.
The Xoa Craft Group has secured confirmed orders from local lodges for stationery items for their boutiques (greeting cards and writing pads). All raw materials were locally sourced, and production of their first order was completed in August 2025.

Wie Sie für das EcoExist-Projekt etwas bewirken können
Buchen Sie eine Highest Impact Safari
When you book a Highest Impact Safari with us, you not only have Ihr größtes Abenteuer in Africa, but also contribute to meaningful change. A portion of your booking goes directly towards supporting initiatives like the Ecoexist Project. This helps to protect elephants and support local communities, who live among them and are able to generate green capital to improve their livelihoods.