Defining Political Community and Rights to Natural Resources in Botswana
Poteete, A.R.
Defining Political Community and Rights to Natural Resources in Botswana
Another useful examination of how CBNRM is embedded in politics at different levels. Poteete shows how both national level politics (and party politics) and ideology around national benefit from all resources affects government approaches to CBNRM and how Disctrict Councils seek to bring community-based organisations under their control. Poteete also shows how the lack of capacity at community level has helped open the way for recentralisation but points out that there is no comprehensive system in place to provide the sort of long-term support CBOs need in governance and financial management. Poteete found that CBNRM in Botswana does not link participation in conservation efforts to benefits from wildlife resources strongly enough to fully realize its potential for improving conservation. Its effectiveness has been limited further by the creation of multi-village CBOs with little connection to historical patterns of co-operation. These conclusions help to underpin the need for greater application of the NWP principles. Poteete makes useful points about the desirability of District governments managing local resources compared to groups of resources users. She suggests that district councils are not necessarily best placed to manage these resources as the District Councils are more accountable to residents of larger villages than to the people who live most closely with wildlife under the existing electoral system. This is a useful contribution to the debate about which level should be vested with rights over resources - local government or local communities.
Brian Jones
Independent Consultant
2013-01-08
Development and Change
Institute for Social Studies, the Hague
- Journal article
- Country-based case study
★★★★
Botswana
- Wildlife
- Biodiversity
- Tourism
- Biodiversity
- Lessons learned (Cautionary Tale)
- Lessons learned (Success Story)
- Governance - [External or structural policies that influenced success or failure]
- Economic - [External or structural policies that influenced success or failure]
- Resources - [External or structural policies that influenced success or failure]
