Botswana bets on gas mining boost for flagging economy

Botswana is no rough diamond when it comes to producing one of the world’s most sought-after minerals. The southern African nation was responsible for 80% of global diamond exports in 2024, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. Now, with global prices plummeting because of slowing demand and ever-more diamonds being grown in labs – and amid growing demand in the region for renewable energy solutions – Botswana’s nascent natural gas mining sector is on the rise.

But industry experts have warned that there are major gaps in regulation, monitoring, and oversight that could leave communities, communal grazing lands, and wildlife vulnerable to gas leaks and contaminated groundwater.