a Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana
b Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society, North-West University,
Potchefstroom, South Africa
Abstract
Notwithstanding that tourism as an economic sector
has played a considerable role in growing various economies around the
world, it has affected social and economic development negatively, as
well as the environment. With specific reference to agriculture, it has
been observed that since most tourist resorts and activities are located
in rural areas, tourism development may affect local agricultural
production. This leads to conflicts over land-use between tourism and
agricultural activities. Ecologically sensitive areas such as the
Okavango Delta are experiencing such conflicts. Despite the prevalence
of land-use conflicts in the Okavango Delta, there is a dearth of
studies that analyse such conflicts, especially from an institutional
perspective. Therefore, this study develops and proposes a sustainable
institutional framework that will allow for the coexistence of both
tourism and agriculture in Botswana, using the Okavango Delta as a case
study. The proposed framework recommends that the sustainable
institutional environment for land use planning and management should
attain a balance between contemporary and traditional land uses in order
to simultaneously improve the productivity and livelihoods for farmers
and develop the business environment for tourism-related businesses
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