POPULATION DYNAMICS

DEFINITION OF KEY CONCEPTS

-POPULATION: Is the total number of people who live in an area or country at a given
time
-Population dynamics: These are changes which take place in the number of people in
an area that is increasing or decreasing
-Birth rate: The average number of babies born in a year for every one thousand people
in that country
-Dearth rate/Mortality rate: The average number of people who die in one year for
every one thousand people in that country
-Natural increase: The difference between the births and deaths
-Population structure: The composition of the population. The proportion of males to
females, children to adults, working to non-working etc
-Dependency ratio: The proportion of working people to non-working people. A high
dependency ratio means a small working population is supporting a large number of non-
working populations
-Overpopulation: This means that there are more people in the country than the
available resources can support
-Dependent population: This includes the people within the nation who are
economically inadequate. This include young children aged between 1 -15 and elderly
people aged 65 and above
-Population pyramid: The graphical representation of the age, sex and life expectancy
of the population in a particular country
- External/International Migration: The movement of people between countries eg
from Botswana to South Africa
-Immigration- the movement of people into the country.
-Internal Migration: The movement of people from one place to another within a
country
-Emigration-the movement of people outside the country
-Fertility rate: the average number of live births a woman is capable of producing during
her reproductive age of 15 to 44 years (the frequency at which women can give birth)
-Fertility: The potential/ability to conceive or become pregnant (child bearing age 15-44
years)
-Life expectancy: The average number of years a new born baby is hoped to live from
birth
-Demography: The study of population, its births, deaths, movement and disease
-Infant Mortality Rate: The average percentage of children who die in the first few
years of life or before their first birth date
-Under-population: The number of people in an area is too small to exploit its resources
-Population migration: Is the movement of people from one place to another either
permanently or temporarily
-Population policy- The government decisions and measures aimed at changing the size,
growth rate, composition or distribution of the population in a country
-Children quota- The number of children each family is expected to have

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-De facto population census- The total number of people present in the country at the
time of conducting census
-De Jure population census- The number of people including residents temporarily
outside the country at the time of census
-Population explosion- The rapid population increase that results from a rapid fall in
death rate and a high increase in birth rate
-Population census- The official counting of people in a country at a given period of
time, usually 10 years in Botswana
-Urbanization – The proportional increase in the number of people living in towns and
cities

DISCUSS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SUCH AS WATER, LAND

DEGRADATION AND POLLUTION IN BOTSWANA

Pollution- It is the contamination of the atmosphere, land or water sources with waste
materials
-Air pollution is not yet a serious problem in Botswana because of few industrial
activities in the country
-In Selibe Phikwe there is pollution because the copper nickel mine releases sulphur and
carbon monoxide gases into the atmosphere which affect people, livestock and
vegetation.
-The increase in the number of vehicles or automobiles increases air pollution in
Botswana
-This pollution can cause acid rain, ozone layer depletion and green house effects/global
warming
-Surface water pollution is caused by the disposal of litter, toxic waste and chemicals
from mines, industries and households
-Underground water pollution results from pit latrines, sewerage ponds, septic tanks, agro
chemicals and toxic waste e.g. Pit latrines in Ramotswa have polluted underground water
-This pollution can kill marine creatures and some animals that do not live in water can
also die

Land degradation-The destruction of land surface due to soil erosion resulting from
human activities
-Soil erosion is caused by the use of poor farming methods such as ploughing along the
slopes, overstocking, overgrazing and mono cultivation
-Some people indiscriminately cut trees without replacing them
-This deforestation is done for the purpose of lumbering, settlement, fuel, farming and
industrialization
-It destroys the beauty of the landscape and soil fertility/nutrients which support plant life
and animal species which feed on plants also get affected negatively

Water
-The water supply in Botswana is low due to unreliable rainfall and high evaporation
which makes water scarce
-People use surface water from rivers and dams

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-Also they use underground water from wells and boreholes
-Clean and safe water eradicates water-borne diseases by purifying water and provision
of piped water
-The government is building dams so as to harvest rain water and use it for domestic and
industrial activities to meet the demands
-Some water sources provide salty water so the government has installed desalination
plants, to remove salt from water
-People need to be educated on water conservation in order to; reduce consumption,
recycle and reuse, reduce leakages, use water efficient appliances and protect water
sources from pollution
-Water depletion is caused by an increasing population therefore water gets contaminated
by industrial wastes and sewage
-Some people waste water by watering their animals from the public stand pipes

DISCUSS THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FACTORS WHICH

INFLUENCE FERTILITY RATE

Social factors
Stage of child bearing (teenage pregnancy, early marriage)- one starts bearing
children at an early age and this can increase the number of children one can have.
Religious beliefs/religion- some churches do not discourage the use of birth control
methods hence women in those churches can have more children. Some churches preach
‘no sex before marriage’ therefore women in those churches delay to have children.
Lack of use of contraceptives- women who do not use contraceptive pills end up having
more children and those who use contraceptives have less children.
Lack of education on family planning- this can lead to more children born hence high
fertility rate.
Sex preference- preferring to have a particular gender in the family, the woman will
continue having children until the preferred sex thus increasing the number of children.
Use of children for labour- more children born to help parents in household duties.
Diseases- can make a woman to have less children hence low fertility rate.

Economic factors
Standards of living/a county’s level of development- countries with better health
facilities of reducing child mortality rates.
Standard of living- better diet, clean drinking water leads to healthy children born.
Improved hygiene-A safe clean environment which reduces diseases causing organisms
Balanced diet- nutritious food and clean drinking water increase immunity against
diseases
Improved medical care-Improved health facilities & medication prolong life
Physical fitness- Regular exercises keeps the body in good health

Cultural factors
Use of children for labour- having more children so that they can be a source of labour
in fields and at the cattle posts.

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Use of children as security- parents have many children so that they can take care of the
while old.
Gender inequality- traditionally the role of women is to stay at home and look after
children.

EXPLAIN FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO POPULATION GROWTH

-Traditional beliefs-Early marriages encourages child bearing at early ages
-Gender speculation/sex preference-Desire for boys as heirs and girls for bride wealth
therefore more children would be produced
-Children used as labour-families needed many children to work in different family
duties hence more people
-Protection-Children viewed as security for the aged they become the eyes and the ears
of the elderly. They are the support system of the elderly.
-Religious beliefs- Some churches encourage polygamy therefore more children would
be produced
-Security-Fear that some children might die hence more children for security
-Prestige-A large family a sign/symbol of virility/power to father many children
-Lack of education-Poor family planning reduces child spacing hence many children
-High infant mortality rate-When many infants die couple produce more to replace the
dead ones
-Contraception-Lack of contraceptives makes people to produce many children
-Population policy-Incentives encourage large families by providing low interest on
loans for different things
-Low mortality rates-Improved medical facilities, a nutritiously balanced diets, absence
of chronic diseases encouraged people to produce more children
-Immigration-When people move in large numbers into a country they increase the
number of its citizens e.g. influx of Zimbabweans and Asians into Botswana

EXPLAIN THE EFFECT OF POPULATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Shortage of farmlands: When the population increases people scramble for the limited
available farmlands which result in rapid depletion of resources and competition for land
Over harvesting of veld products: When more people move from rural areas to urban
areas in search of better living standards it leads to over exploitation of natural resources
like phane, thatching grass, minerals etc
Development of slums-squatter camps/informal settlements/shanty towns (bo
maipaafela/mekhukhu/ditlakana) are not environmentally friendly because of shortage of
accommodation due to an increasing numbers of people
Soil erosion- when people increase there would be too much pressure on the land
because a lot of trees would be cut for fuel/firewood, settlement purposes, industrial
activities and poor farming methods
Pollution- waste materials and smoke from the industries would contaminate the water,
land and air which can lead to some outbreak of diseases
Deforestation-when people increase, they are going to cut down more trees for firewood,
timber, settlement and agriculture leading to desertification
Poaching-more animals would be killed for their hides, trophies and meat

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Littering-people throw bottles, tins, cans, papers, plastics and tattered clothes
everywhere
Land scarring-People dig burrow pits to get minerals and soils and leave the pits
uncovered
Veldfires-people burn the veld for different reasons e.g. Hunters, farmers, honey
collectors, smokers etc

SUGGEST POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS CAUSED BY

POPULATION GROWTH ON THE ENVIRONMENT
-Social facilities-People must be provided with enough accommodation & good
sanitation, to avoid the development of shanty towns
-Forced removals-Squatters should be evicted forcefully
-Employment opportunities-Jobs should be created in the villages to avoid rural-urban
migration
-Legislation-There should be a land policy which would determine the age at which one
should have a plot (18years) and also on the number of plots per individual eg. One-piece
of land-one person policy
-Legislation-Land should not be sold
-Policy-Licensing of hunting wild animals and collection of forest products
-Contraception-Family planning and other ways of reducing population growth should
be encouraged
-Use of scientific methods of farming- The use fertilizers, irrigation, crop rotation, inter
cropping and rotational grazing should be encouraged so as to reduce land degradation
-Environmental education-Public environmental awareness campaigns to encourage the
prudent use of the surroundings by all
-Use alternative sources of energy- Instead of using wood and coal which lead to
deforestation and pollution people can use solar energy, hydro-electric power, and wind
energy and biogas power
-Pollution control-Air pollution monitory stations must be built and also fine the
industries which pollute the environment
-Use of alternative modes of transport-Use of environmentally-friendly mode of
transport systems such as bicycles, carts and walking
-Use of alternative waste disposal methods-Recycling of waste materials such as
bottles, tins, plastics, paper and encouraging consumers to return them for a fee
-Rehabilitation of burrow pits-Land filling with building rubble or construction wastes
to cover scarred land
-Dumping sites- should be created to reduce indiscriminate illegal dumping of
construction wastes
-Legislation-There must be a statutory regulation for the manufacturing, distribution, use
and disposal of plastic carrier bags
-Provision of rest rooms-toilets for a fee for the service in busy areas to encourage
people to maintain good sanitary practices
-Good planning-Phasing out of pit latrines in high density residential areas and replacing
them with water-borne toilets

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-Construction of dams and reservoirs (jojos) - People must harvest rain water instead
of pumping water from rivers because it interferes with the ecological bio-diversity
negatively
-Afforestation- people should plant trees so as to reduce desertification

EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF RAPID POPULATION GROWTH ON THE

AVAILABLE RESOURCES
-Shortage of land: When the population increases there would be more space to be
occupied and people would not have enough land for settlement, industrial activities and
farming areas
- Pressure on facilities: When the number of people increases there would be pressure
on health and educational amenities such as schools and hospitals
-Depletion of resources: When the numbers of people increases there would be problems
with the supply of food and clean drinking water
-Less development: The government would spend more money on buying education and
health materials like books, drugs instead of building new infrastructure like roads,
clinics, schools etc.
-Traffic congestion: more automobiles due to large population lead to pollution
-Lack of employment: Some people would go for prostitution, crime and street kids and
pressure on breadwinners due to lack of jobs in the existing industries

SUGGEST POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO RAPID POPULATION

INCREASE/GROWTH
-Family planning: There should be enough education on the available family planning
methods. They should be free supply of contraceptives eg. Condoms
-Laws on marriage age: If marriage age is increased then the fertility rate of would be
reduced eg. In China marriage age of women is 24 years and 26 years for men. There
should be legislation on the number of children that married couple should have
-Strict government policies: Some countries have adopted policies which are used to
reduce population growth eg. In Singapore, there are heavy financial penalties for parents
who have more than two children. For parents who have been sterilized after the birth of
their second child, they are rewarded with education and employment of their off-
springs/children. In China there is one-child policy. There should be a law on child-
bearing age such that anybody who has a child before that recommended age is fined.
-Encouraging abstinence by the youth: The youth should be encouraged to stay away
from sex until they have reached a certain age
-Introduction of social and economic incentives to smaller families: These have
included increased hospital delivery fees for children of high order, paid maternity leave
for their first two but not subsequent children, the absence of any income tax relief
measures for the third child and above
-Increased school and hospital fees- When the fees for essential services are increased
families would find it fit to engage in serious family planning to cut the costs on fees
-Education and training: Women should be educated so as to delay marriage and child
bearing. Educated women are empowered to have a say on sexual relations eg. The
number of children to be born in a family

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-Improvement on the status of women (gender equality)- equality for women is very
important, women who have high social status and economic opportunities tend to have
fewer children than those of lower status. Improved status of women will make them take
part in decision making concerning family size unlike in the past when that decision was
taken by man only.

EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF HIV AIDS ON THE POPULATION

Loss active and working population: The most infected and affected group is that of
breadwinners. Loss of trained and skilled human resources in all sectors of the economy
Demographic Changes: The disease also has an impact on the population structure of
the economy
Poverty: An increase in the number of rural and urban poor
Effect on the family: Families with the HIV/Aids infected and sick usually is isolated
because of stigmatization which leads to psycho-social stress and disintegration of family
structures
Orphans and street kids: When parents die they leave behind disadvantaged children
which lead to an increase in the demand for social welfare services to meet their basic
needs
Increased sickness-related absenteeism in workplaces: The early and unexpected
sickness and sick leaves leads to reduced productivity
Costly health care system: Increased illness and demand for health care services among
the youth and middle-aged adults and very young children leading to increase in medical
expenses e.g. ARV`s
Increased mortality rates: Increased death rates among the young, middle aged adults
and children below the age of 5 years especially with HIV/Aids cases
Marginalization of other deadly diseases: Some diseases like malaria and cancer are
not given the attention they deserve because priority is given to HIV/Aids in terms of
scientific research
Training expenditure: There are high costs in training the manpower to replace those
lost to country i.e. reduced life expectancy, high dependent population and an unhealthy
infant population
Reduced investment: Local businesses get affected because of low purchasing/buying
power
Reduced infrastructural development: Some developments have been sidelined
because a lot of money is spent buying medication and other ration supplies eg. 1 billion
pula is spent per year for HIV/AIDS which could be used to build 5 Senior Secondary
Schools in one year
It has increased funeral expenses e.g. Caskets
More health centers- Many hospitals and clinics are build or expanded to absorb the
increasing number of patients
Research intensification- A lot of scientific research is conducted that looking for
medication for either prevention or cure
Personnel training- More medical practitioners are trained to match the swelling
numbers of patients
Employment Creation- Some people would fill in the vacant posts created by people
lost to HIV/Aids

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Resource Distribution- The resources would be evenly spread out to meet the pace of
the population growth, due to population reduction
Overpopulation decreases- A lot of people engage in birth control methods such as
Condoms and Abstinence

DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF POPULATION CENSUS

-Demographic status-It enables the study on population changes and causes of those
changes as it provides demographic data on Age, Sex, Ratios and average life expectancy
-Country’s carrying capacity-Helps the government to know the country`s population
size
-Political representation-it helps the government to divide the constituencies or wards
looking at the population density in such areas
-Demographic statistics-During the census the vital information about deaths, migration
and dearth rates are compiled
-Informs Decision Making-It provides information which help the government to carry
out developments, that is economic planning and financial budgeting for schools,
hospitals, roads etc
-Enhances resource distributions-It helps the government to distribute national
resources as per population distribution in the country
-Enables prioritization-Census data can be used to identify where developments are
needed most

ASSSESS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT

PLANNING
Positives
-Proper bargaining-Population numbers are needed for budgeting purposes, that is the
government has to know how much money would be required by each sector ministry
-Prioritization purposes -The numbers are also needed for prioritizing development
funds, these enables the government to know where the money or developments are
needed most
-Enables proper budgeting-Population numbers are needed to keep pace with the
resources or coordinating utilization of resources
-Enables forecasting-Population projections makes budgeting by the government easy as
important demographic changes are easily noted

Negatives
-developments maybe concentrated on certain areas only.
-developments which do not fall under priority area maybe neglected for a long time
-budget restrictions
-some areas may remain underdeveloped in case where there is less population.

DESCRIBE CAUSES OF MIGRATION WITHIN AND BETWEEN COUNTRIES

Pull factors- There are favourable conditions which attract people to a new area and
usually lead to voluntary migration/population movement
Push factors- There are unfavourable conditions which force people to go to a new area,
and usually lead to involuntary population movement

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PULL FACTORS
-Mild/moderate climate-fertile soils, good pastures, clean drinking water, good rainfall,
absence of natural disasters like diseases, pests, floods and earthquakes can attract people
to a new area
-Higher wages -better employment opportunities make people to go to areas with better
job opportunities and higher salaries
-Good recreational facilities-better educational and health amenities attract people to
areas which have them
-Good love choices-Places with better chances of engaging in desired relationships can
also influence people to go to such areas
-Visitations-People move from their places to pay visits to people close to them such as
friends & relatives
-Marriage/relationships-Some people migrate from their places so as to join their loved
ones
-Public holidays- some people move from their areas to visit tourist destinations to spend
their leisure time
-Political Asylum- some people migrate from the countries to other countries to seek
refugee status from their politically troubled countries
-Safety-Peaceful conditions security and good chances of political appointments in urban
areas
-Good neighbourliness-The desire for a better home and, fear of witchcraft and conflicts
e.g. hereditary disputes
-High standards of living-People move to areas with better lifestyles where they can
enjoy improved services in the form of transport and telecommunications networks,
electricity, accommodation, good sanitation, shopping complexes, industries etc
-Availability of markets-People migrate to areas with good ready markets and enough
skilled or semi-skilled labour

PUSH FACTORS
-Harsh climate- (cold & dry), poor soils, barren lands/deserts, poor water supply and
presence of natural disasters can force people to move away
-Collapse of agriculture-Poor agricultural production in rural areas or other countries
makes people to migrate
-Wars-Political instabilities would force people to flee conflicts
-Shortage of jobs-Lack of jobs in some areas though some people qualified for certain
professions
-Lack of markets- lack of markets for goods or services
-Lack of infrastructure-Poor roads, hospitals, schools, electricity etc
-Poor recreational facilities-lack of entertainment facilities e.g. stadiums, night clubs,
gym rooms etc

DISCUSS THE EFFECTS OF POPULATION MIGRATION LOCALLY AND

INTERNATIONALLY

a) Locally

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-Population imbalance- most people who are left in the rural areas are women, children
and the very old
-Depopulation -most people move to towns living villages with little numbers of people
-Remittances-those who migrated to urban areas may get employment and bring money
back to their homes in rural areas
-Collapse of Agricultural and community development projects- have since forced
the able-bodied people to go to urban areas
-Trickle-down effect- New skills, ideas and technology would be brought from towns to
rural areas for their developments by the migrants
-Family break-ups and unfaithful relationships-some partners may engage in extra-
marital relationships since their loved ones have gone to other areas
-Sex imbalance-Majority of people who go to towns and cities are men leaving behind
women in rural areas
-Overpopulation- Increase in the number of people in urban areas can breed social ills
like crime, prostitution, street kidding, drug trafficking etc.
- Easy multiplication of diseases- Spread of air-borne or communicable or contagious
diseases such as TB, HIV/AIDS
-Shortage of accommodation- leading to the development of illegal settlements hence
social ills like crime
-Pressure on resources-There would be too much pressure on natural resources & social
amenities like land, water, schools etc
-Reduces pressure on available resources- because few people would be left in rural
areas to enjoy services provided
-Land destruction-There would be an increase in water, soil and air pollution
-Unfair distribution of resources-more resources would be channeled to urban areas at
the expense of rural areas

Internationally
- Brain-drain/human capital flight/exodus of professionals-it means that more
educated or skilled people migrate to developed countries eg. Doctors, nurses and
engineers
-Creation of employment-foreign companies which open industries
-Loss of able-bodied people- More Zimbabwean young males and females migrate to
neighbouring countries like Botswana and South Africa to look for jobs
-Xenophobia: Locals hatred of foreigners brings conflicts in host countries
-Contagious diseases-Spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS, swine flu etc.
-Collapse of development projects-infrastructure would be affected negatively in the
source areas
-Poverty-Some dependents may starve since their breadwinners would have left them to
other countries for greener pastures
-Cultural erosion-People who move to other countries are likely to lose their culture eg.
Language
-Cultural enrichment-locals and foreigners exchange ideas and skills
- Increase in social ills- if some of the migrants do not find jobs in those foreign counties
they do criminal activities e.g. prostitution

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-Economic liability-Countries which receive skilled migrants have to create recruitment
packages and other benefits for them
-Good expertise-If many of the migrants in the receiving country are skilled personnel
they are likely to improve the service delivery in that country
-Terrorism-There can an increased risk of insecurity eg. Spy migrants
-Promotion of international relations- Trade brings foreign exchange

EVALUATE THE IMPORTANCE OF POPULATION POLICY

Positives
-Maintain equilibrium-A controlled population will ensure a balance between
population and available resources
-Population forecasts-It would permit population projections which are needed for
development planning and thus helps in prioritizing development funds for projects
-It can be used to increase or decrease population for budgeting purposes
-Policy Making-Relevant legislations will be put in place so as to help in population
regulations eg. A law on marriage age and the number of children per couple
-Population control-It enables all stakeholders to work towards achieving a common
goal e.g. Population increase or decrease

Negatives
-if policy seeks to increase population, it might have a negative impact on the available
resource
-if policy seeks to decrease population, that might affect the economy
-future population projections maybe misleading because of inaccuracies predictions
-formulation of population laws may encroach into people’s rights

POPULATION POLIC Y IN BOTSWANA

-It is based on the balance between the population size and the available resources needed
to be consumed
-Botswana has high birth rates and a high dependent population which needs more
resources
-As a result the government is trying to contain this scenario by;
i) Promotion of gender equality between men and women
ii) Educating individuals for their personal development
iii) Encouragement of self-employment
iv) Respect of family unit
v) Improved health and family health care

DISCUSS THE TREND OF RURAL- URBAN MIGRATION

-Sex-Both men and women move to towns for different reasons, usually to look for jobs
to support their families in rural areas
-Age-Most people who migrate to urban areas are able-bodied men and women (the
productive population)
-Destination-Most people move to mining towns like Orapa, Jwaneng etc and industrial
towns like Gaborone and Francistown

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-Volume-able-bodied move in large numbers

DISCUSS THE ROLE PLAYED BY DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN

ADDRESSING PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM RURAL-URBARN
MIGRATION

The Youth
-Formation of youth associations- in rural areas the youth guide, entertain and assist
other in order to prevent some from going to urban areas
-Formation of cultural groups- They keep others busy during their spare times
entertaining, educating and helping the young and adults to earn some money in villages
and towns e.g. Drama, traditional dance troupes, scouts etc
-Participation in different sport codes -the youth play during tournaments and
competitions between or among villages, these help to keep them in villages
-Self-employment- They set their own businesses in rural settlements by getting some
funds in the form grants and loans from CEDA and the department of Youth and Culture,
these help them create employment in their communities
-Voluntary service- They join organizations such internship programme, community
policing, Tirelo Sechaba etc.
-Join Public Works-Change of negative attitudes towards manual jobs e.g. ipelegeng
-Involvement in community activism-Active participation in decision making .g. VDC,
councilors, MPs

The Government
-Outreach services-Decentralization of government services to local district offices e.g.
Rural Administration Centers (RAC`s)
-Electrification-Some villages have been electrified
-Infrastructure development-The government has provided social amenities in villages
such as schools, clinics, post offices etc
-Provision of water-Most villages have been provided with clean drinking water from
dams and boreholes
-Telecommunication networks-Some rural areas are provided with telephone lines and
cellular phone networks
-Media reception-More villages have good reception of electronic media like Btv and
Radio Botswana
-Good transportation-A lot of villages are networked/connected with tarred roads and a
railway line
-Provision of serviced land-More villages are provided with a conducive environment
for potential investors to start businesses eg provision of electricity and water.
-Education-Some people in rural areas have been trained on new approaches to projects
in the agricultural sector, in order to improve their lives e.g. National Master Plan on
Arable Agriculture and Diary Development (NAMPAAD)
-Community based resource management-Local communities are encouraged to
participate in projects that they would benefit something from such as eco-tourism and
game farming

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-Volunteerism-There is an encouragement for the spirit of self-reliance in rural areas,
that people should be involved in community development projects like building a
community hall, houses for rentals, bridges, classrooms etc. through ipelegeng
programme

NGO’s
-Environmental management-Provide technical support for the effective use of natural
resources
-Employment creation- have branches in the rural areas and this helps in terms of
development and creating employment.
-Infrastructure development-They develop projects
-Community mobilization-They protect fauna and flora through encouragement of Eco-
tourism, game farming and cultural villages through Community Based Natural Resource
Management (CBNRM) like the Sankoyo Tshwaragano Management Trust, Kuru
Development Trust etc
-Financial assistance-Provide financial support for the establishment of businesses

Others
-Participation-Elders can encourage the youth through the media like Radio Botswana to
visit rural areas so that they can engage them in the development of their communities
-Decision making-Community leaders like village chiefs address kgotla meetings and
ask for suggestions from the youth on how the villages can be developed so as to contain
them in the villages
-Role playing-Community members with the help of Social workers organize
drama/plays in order to demonstrate about the social ills of living in towns when one is
unemployed, without proper accommodation, such social ills include street kids,
prostitution, crime, HIV/Aids, drug taking etc.

DESCRIBE CAUSES OF CONFLICT OVER THE USE OF NATURAL

RESOURCES
-Overpopulation- when the population increases it leads to people exceeding the
available resources. These include land, sandy soil, firewood and clean drinking water
etc. This can result in the encroachment of settlements on state lands
- Increased demand for firewood/fuel-Most people depend on firewood for cooking. As
a result some people cut live trees to collect firewood for sale
-Establishment of mining areas-When minerals are discovered in a certain area the
occupants of such an area usually the farming communities have to be removed e.g.
Some people at Morupule, Jwaneng, Orapa, Sua pan etc
-Industrialization/Urbanization-When many industries are built in towns; with many
vehicles they produce smoke and other waste materials which pollute air, land and water.
When most people migrate to towns they build shanty towns which are not
environmentally friendly because they can’t get proper accommodation
-Land use- In most cases, farming communities have problems with wildlife authorities.
People who live in areas where there are lots of wild animals complain that predators kill
their livestock while some animals destroy their crops and the government gives them
little money as compensation (phimolo dikeledi)

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-Ownership/ancestral land-Some communities have some problems with government
authorities over the ownership and use of land. Some people around Shoshong village are
having conflicts with the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) over land use. The community
says the land is the pasture to their livestock while the BDF say it is their training ground
-Denial-Some communities have problems with the department of Land Board, they say
the land board is denying them the right to own such piece of land e.g. Jamataka area
along Francistown-Orapa road
-Accessibility- Some communities fight because they are not given access to land
together with its natural resources like animals and fruits e.g. Relocation of Basarwa from
the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) to New Xade by the government
-Backlog of unprocessed applications- The delay in the processing of applications for
plots would force some people to allocate themselves land illegally
-Corruption: Un-procedural allocation of land basing on favouritism can brew some
misunderstandings
-No benefits for the community-some communities argue that since they live in some
areas endowed with natural resources, they should have share from the benefits/profits
generated by such resources, like royalties from the mining rights and tourism, etc.
-Forced removals- Some people have conflict with the government when they are
removed from their residential areas to pave way for new developments e.g. some
residents in the Botshabelo ward in Maun were asked to move out in order to increase the
space for the expansion of the Airport. Some communities were forcefully removed from
Mogoditshane, Old Naledi, and Somerset in Francistown

DISCUSS WAYS OF RESOLVING CONFLICTS ARISING FROM THE USE OF

SCARCE RESOURCES
-Legislation by the government- The government should make laws to protect natural
resources. There must be the law which regulates and controls the harvesting of veld
products such as phane, sengaparile, firewood, thatching grass etc
-Education- Communities should be given enough education through workshops,
seminars and kgotla meetings on the importance of conserving natural resources and
preserve them for future generations
-Cooperation between stakeholders-They include Communities, NGO`s, Private sector,
Individuals and the Government. They must work together on issues that affect them all
and make informed decisions on the use of natural resources
-Negotiation and Consultation (Dialogue) -There should be direct communication
between the government and all stakeholders. Decisions should not be imposed on people
concerning the use of natural resources but they should be involved e.g. Environmental
Impact Assessment
-Resolving the case at the kgotla-Some cases over the use of natural resources should be
solved at the kgotla where communities would feel free to express their views, concerns
and suggestions regarding a certain environmental issue
-Strict Government Policies- enforce anti-pollution laws and punish those who pollute

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