Proyecto Ecoexist

Elephants and People: Shared Landscapes, Shared Futures

¿Qué es el proyecto Ecoexist?

La Proyecto Ecoexist es una iniciativa de conservación con sede en Botsuana dedicada a fomentar la coexistencia entre las comunidades locales y los elefantes en el Delta del Okavango región. Al abordar los retos del conflicto entre humanos y elefantes, el proyecto emplea la investigación y el compromiso comunitario para desarrollar soluciones sostenibles que beneficien tanto a las personas como a la vida salvaje. 

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.

Elefantes, investigación vital y estrategias de coexistencia

Botsuana 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

Nuestra colaboración comienza con el apoyo al Grupo Xoa de Fabricación de Papel de Estiércol de Elefante para llevar su producto de muestra al mercado, especialmente dirigido a los alojamientos de safari locales. Actualmente, alrededor de 80% de los productos y artesanías almacenados en Botsuana son importados, y el gobierno está instando a la industria turística a cambiar esta dinámica, con el objetivo de que 80% de los productos sean de origen local. 

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.