Resource potential of the three communal first development areas

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyse the relationship between resource potential and resource use in communal areas in Botswana and the consequences of such for sustainable development. The communal areas under study are located in different agro-ecological zones and have a different resource potential. The analysis is carried out at two levels: the communal area and the household level and includes household access to and use of resources. The first chapter presents a review of the origins and different perceptions of the concept of sustainable development. The second chapter provides the geographical and policy framework for the field studies. It describes the development process of Botswana and the implication for the environment against the background of the country's natural and human resources. A description of state agricultural and land use policies of relevance to the environmental conditions in the communal areas of Botswana concludes the chapter. Subsequent chapters focus on the potential and use of natural and productive resources by rural households in three communal areas in the Chobe, North-East and Kweneng districts. Subsequently, resource potential and resource use are compared, the effects for land degradation and soil erosion indicated, and conclusions drawn with regard to the prospects for sustainable development. A comparative analysis is made of the relationship between resource potential and resource use in order to identify factors responsible for the differentiation in resource use and to assess the effectiveness of government policy.