Conservation, tourism and indigenous communities’ dynamics: The case of Basarwa in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), Botswana

Abstract

Using the underpinnings of dispossession and social exclusion as the lens, this paper assesses how the government of Botswana (GoB) balances competing interests of conservation and tourism and how these have impacted the lives of indigenous communities. Relying on relevant literature, we analyse the intended and unintended consequences resulting from the government’s stance on conservation and indigenous communities’ rights to ancestral land and other resources. Results indicate that the rights of Basarwa to ancestral land and other resources within the CKGR have been negatively affected. However, the GoB believes the changes brought by conservation efforts that affected Basarwa’s lifestyles was essential to allow for the management of wildlife and the promotion of tourism. Despite the resultant international backlash and court cases devised to contest the GoB position, Basarwa remains disadvantaged and marginalised through land dispossession and exclusion to participate in tourism businesses. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.