Ecoexist Project

Elephants and People: Shared Landscapes, Shared Futures

What is the Ecoexist Project?

The Ecoexist Project is a conservation initiative based in Botswana dedicated to fostering coexistence between local communities and elephants in the Okavango Delta region. By addressing the challenges of human-elephant conflict, the project employs research and community engagement to develop sustainable solutions that benefit both people and wildlife. 

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.

Elephants, Vital Research and Coexistence Strategies

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

Our partnership begins with supporting the Xoa Elephant Dung Paper Making Group in bringing their sample product to market, particularly targeting local safari lodges. Currently, about 80% of stocked products and crafts in Botswana are imported, and the government is urging the tourism industry to shift this dynamic, aiming for 80% of products to be locally sourced. 

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.