Institutions and water governance in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

The goals of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) can be achieved by embracing the principles of distributive governance, which places both customary and statutory water institutions on the same pedestal in the governance of water resources. As culture and traditions constitute intangible aspects of water resources management in rural Africa, the recognition of water governance systems grounded in local norms, which correspond better with the aspirations of local water users as against the expert-knowledge systems is desirable. Following the introduction of the statutory institutions in postcolonial Africa, customary institutions, which were once effective in regulating water resources became relegated to the background in those countries, including Botswana . Adopting a critical literature review approach, this article employs the concept of legal pluralism to analyze the institutional factors that create the disharmony between cultural and statutory water governance and management institutions. Findings indicate that water has been abstracted from its social nature and transformed into a tradable economic good. Ultimately, the local meanings and images encoded in water as a nature-given resource are overlooked, thus generating conflicts in water governance. The paper recommends the adoptions of legal pluralism under which water institutions need to embrace both customary and statutory institutions.

Community participation in cultural heritage and environmental policy formulation in Botswana

Cultural heritage does not have direct economic benefits. However, if properly managed it can stimulate social cohesions, improving the environment and have beneficial economic spin offs for the local communities. This paper discusses the role of communities in the formulation of the policies concerning their local environment. It argues that community engagement by policy makers is important in giving legitimacy and ownership of the policies. Furthermore, this paper discusses the potential of cultural heritage in diversifying the economy in Botswana. This paper recommends for the re-assessment of the relationship between the state and local communities which is critical in resuscitating the seemingly ailing community business organizations. In conclusion, it argues for the sustainable management of cultural heritage as a social and economic resource in the next 50 years of Botswana's independence.

A qualitative assessment of solid waste management in Peleng township in Lobatse,Botswana considering spatial aspects

Even though solid waste management is widely researched,there is scanty literature addressing the influence of physical environmental attributes on solid waste management service provision in informal settlements.The aim of this study was to investigate the nexus between physical infrastructural planning and waste management service.To obtain relevant results,this study used the case study of Peleng township in Botswana.The study relied on empirical data collected from 91 ran-domly selected households.ArcGIS was used for mapping 550 purposively selected households,and for visualization of the physical infrastructure.This study concluded that the community is at the forefront of dealing with waste problems in their settlement.However,their interventions have fallen short of becoming profitable and sustainable due to a failure of the government to integrate solid waste management into mainstream urban development planning.The findings revealed that there is minimal government intervention for improved solid waste management in the area.It recommends that adequate attention must be given to road infrastructure and physical developments in order solid waste management in Peleng,Lobatse.