Author(s)

K. Mulale & W. L. Hambira

Abstract

The overall aim of the study is to investigate the extent to which the policy and legislative framework in Botswana facilitates or constrains sustainable communal rangelands management and utilization systems. Issues of sustainable management of communal rangelands are pertinent in Botswana since the majority of the people in Botswana live in rural areas and are particularly dependent on rangelands resources held in common for their livelihoods. The study undertook a content analysis of policy and legislative documents for the most relevant sectors and issues. The policy and legislative framework for the management of communal rangelands resources has far reaching implications for the sustainability of rural livelihoods in Botswana. The study findings show that despite their high dependence upon communal rangelands resources, rural communities have limited and insecure rights over these rangelands, hence their vulnerability. Findings also show that state policies and legislation tend to favour central regulation and privatization of communal rangelands resources. Keywords: Botswana, Community Based Natural Resource Management, communal rangelands, policy and legislative framework, user rights. 1 Introduction Local communities’ ability to care for communal rangelands is affected by the socio-economic and political setting in which they live. Fernie and Pitkethly [1] have argued that, all resource problems are fundamentally institutional problems. Gupta [2] also observed that simply passing a law is not the equivalent of

Keywords

Botswana, Community Based Natural Resource Management, communal rangelands, policy and legislative framework, user rights.