Africa-Press – Botswana. Two organizations, Earth Grade and Climate and Life, have teamed up to organise the Ngamiland Property Expo at Parkview Hotel in Maun from April 25 to April 27.
Themed, Sustainable Building, the expo aims to promote the construction of environmentally-friendly buildings in Botswana. In an interview on Tuesday, one of the organisers, Ms Thapelo Monageng, stated that Maun was selected as the host due to its designation as a ‘Green City of Botswana’.
Aligned with the objectives of the Botswana Green Building Council (BotGBC), Ms Monageng highlighted that the expo was designed to enhance sustainability in the country’s construction sector through advocacy, outreach, and education on building performance excellence. The goal is to encourage the adoption of green building principles across Botswana.
“Our objective is to unite stakeholders from various sectors to promote the development of a sustainable green building environment in Botswana,” she emphasized. Ms Monageng noted that the objective resonated with the mandate of the Botswana Green Building Council.
Therefore, she mentioned that the Botswana Green Building Council (BotGBC), a nonprofit organisation committed to promoting sustainable building practices nationwide, has given its support to the expo.
The event will showcase exhibitions and booths by property developers, construction firms, property appraisers, prospective homeowners, real estate agents, architects, and financial institutions.
“Green building concepts and methodologies are increasingly integral to building design, construction, and operation processes, applying to both new and existing structures,” Ms. Monageng elaborated. One of the speakers billed for the event, Mr Ntokozo Vellah of BotGBC, also emphasised that it was crucial to transition towards a net zero, healthy and resilient built environment that worked for everyone, everywhere in Botswana, adding that achieving this required concerted efforts by all players in the building sector.
“We are excited to be part of this property expo, because it is going to help create awareness about the importance of green buildings as climate sustainable buildings. We want to uphold the values, learn and hear other best case green building examples for adaptation initiatives to climate change,” he said.
Mr Vellah said the building sector was responsible for 35 percent of carbon emissions in the atmosphere, stressing that “we need to curtail the progress of leaner buildings and advocate for circular buildings”.
Therefore, by the end of the expo, Mr Vellah said it was important that “the public understands what green buildings are, why we need green building and benefits of green buildings.”
He expressed delight that hosting of the expo had attracted interest from government organisations, such as Department of Town and Country Planning.
Amongst the speakers, he said there would be University of Botswana’s Okavango Research Institute (ORI), Professor of Tourism Studies, Prof. Joseph Mbaiwa, SACAs founder and president, Dr Loyiso Ngavu, and Global Ambassador of Africa Tourism Board, Dr Levy Motebejane, as the moderator.
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