Community-Based Natural Resource Management and Tourism Partnership in Botswana: Which Way Forward?

Abstract

This exploratory study uses two case studies of the Chobe Enclave Community Trust (CECT) in Chobe District and the Sankuyo Tshwaragano Management Trust (STMT) in the Okavango Delta area of Botswana to examine the effectiveness of Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) and partnerships as strategies for promoting community involvement in environmental conservation and sustainable use of resources for tourism and extractive purposes. The study adopts qualitative research methods including personal interviews, personal observations, and document content analysis to collect and analyze information and data from these two legally constituted community based organizations (CBO) currently involved with CBRNM. The key issues examined are: 1) the forms of CBNRM and tourism partnerships that are associated with specific outcomes within the designated areas; 2) the effectiveness of community-based natural resource management and tourism partnerships in the designated areas in realizing desired policy and community goals; and 3) the major challenges and issues facing CBNRM and tourism partnerships in Botswana. Based on the findings, a generic collaborative community-based natural resource management and tourism development partnership (CCBNRM-TDP) model for effective CBNRM and tourism development is proposed. The efficacy of the CCBNRM-TDP model will be tested by the authors in future research within Botswana and similar areas in rural Africa.