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Desertification in Botswana
ment of the livestock sector and the utilization of the country’s grazing resources, a
complex relationship between people and environment has developed, giving rise to
dryland degradation or desertification. While considerable progress has been made in
combating desertification, the results of most anti-desertification efforts have not yet
achieved the expected results. The constraints against combating desertification in-
clude climate, govemment policy and population growth. But, perhaps, the greatest
constraint is the void and confusion created by the breakdown of traditional stmctures
and the lack of adequate institutional capacity and mechanisms for implementing
community based natural resource projects (Pilane 1997). Also, there are influential
sceptics who currently believe that the nature and extent of desertification in the
country have been exaggerated, a factor that could influence the pace of development,
especially, of govemment’s action in fully implementing appropriate policies such as
those outlined in the country’s blueprint, the National Conservation Strategy (NCS).
However, given the strength of the economy, the political will, the democratic gov-
emance and the environmental consciousness prevailing among the political leader-
ship and educated elite at present, there appears to be good prospects for sustained ef-
fort and possible success in containing the desertification problem in the country in
the near future.
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