Resource information
The people of Botswana have always depended on the forest resource base from time immemorial and they continue to depend on it for various goods and services, chief of which continues to be fuelwood. It is said that 83% of the population in Botswana still depends on fuelwood for their energy needs. However, this valuable resource base is under threat from the rapidly expanding human population and its related sectoral agricultural and infrastructural developments, persistent annual veld fires, frequently recurring drought and the subsistence utilization of the forests. Various governmental and non-governmental sectors are making frantic efforts to combat these threats through various programmes. But these sectors are usually limited in their efforts by various administrative, technical and institutional weaknesses, such as shortage of manpower and resources. Nevertheless, the situation is slowly improving with the much needed assistance from various regional and international organisations. The government supports all these sectors in their endeavours by constantly reviewing legislation and ensuring its conformity to the notion of forest resources conservation, management and sustainable utilization.
