Botswana President Ian Khama has received yet another
accolade after being named a 2013 Global Visionary at this year’s annual
Conde Nash ‘Visionaries Dinner’ held in New York.
Mr Khama was picked with seven other ‘remarkable
global citizens’ for his contribution towards sustainable development
and conservation.
Also in that list is Mexico President Enrique Pena
Nieto, credited for fighting hunger and corruption in his country and
Dr Greg Allgood, founder of Procter & Gamble’s Children’s Safe
Drinking Water Programme.
Dr Allgood, who is also Vice-President of World
Vision Water, was feted for saving lives through pioneering efforts to
deliver safe drinking water around the world.
In a press release, the organisers hailed the
Botswana leader as an “independent thinker who is committed to
developing his country sustainably”.
They also credited President Khama for successfully hosting the 2012 Summit for Sustainability in Africa.
“His government, which is recognised by
Transparency International as the least corrupt in Africa, is piloting
pan-African efforts to monitor and safeguard water, minerals, and
wildlife – all of which are crucial to future conservation efforts,”
read the statement.
This year’s edition of the awards also included
the ‘World Saver’ category which recognised Botswana’s efforts to
promote sustainable development in tourism.
The Government of Botswana was picked for the
award, the organisers said, because of its continued efforts to ensure
the environmental integrity of the Okavango Delta.
The Okavango Delta is the world’s largest inland
delta and situated in an extremely arid region attracts great
concentrations of diverse animals and birds.
Both awards were collected by Khama’s brother who
is also the country's minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism
Tshekedi Khama, who attended the event.
Last year, President Khama was awarded a lifetime
honorary membership for his ‘life-long commitment to the environment’ at
the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) awards.SOURCE: AFRICA REVIEW
