Who owns land in botswana

Prior to his amendment, the Land Policy stopped wives from owning land if their husbands already had some. Previously, only unmarried women or the wives of men who did not already own land were eligible for land rights.

The discrimination left millions of married woman, widows and single mothers without access to the land where they live and work. The government allots deeds for land on which people have a legitimate claim but no legal rights, seeking to regularizes a chaotic ownership system. Mining and industrial needs consume the balance. The Water Act, , defines water use rights and pollution controls and penalties.

The Borehole Act, , governs borehole creation and operations. The Waterworks Act, , governs the establishment of water authorities in townships and their responsibility for supplying water and waterworks e. The National Water Supply and Sanitation Plan, , was created to estimate water demand and availability and the potential for the development of water resources. Under customary law, open water sources are generally available for domestic use by individuals and groups, and water sources are associated with social units, such as families and wards.

All tribal members have the right to a site for the purpose of drawing water for consumption by livestock. Once a member has invested labor and money in a borewell, he or she has exclusive rights to it.

Customary principles provide that if someone has dire need of water, even those with private use rights must allow access Adams et al. The Water Act provides that the state owns all public water i. The owner or occupier of land may perform the following actions without obtaining specific authorization: 1 sink or deepen a well or borehole and abstract and use water therefrom for domestic purposes, not exceeding any amount prescribed by the Minister in relation to the area in which the well or borehole is located, provided that no borehole can be sunk within meters of another borehole unless it is dry ; and 2 construct any works on the land for the conservation of public water and abstract and use the water conserved for domestic purposes.

The construction of any works in a public stream is generally not authorized ROB The holder of a mining right may, with reference to the land held under the license or permit and in addition to rights available to others, use any underground water and construct any works required for or in connection with the use of such water ROB Rights of access to land generally include access to surface water resources, subject to existing rights, including rights of other countries to shared resources.

Ownership of a borehole on customary land gives the owner de jure rights to the groundwater and de facto rights to the surrounding grazing land as well as woodland and grassland products. Individuals and syndicates requesting a borehole generally contribute to the cost of sinking the borehole and operate and maintain the borehole in exchange for free use of the water.

Individuals and entities wishing to establish new borewells must obtain permission from the Land Board. In general, borewells must be at least 8 square kilometers apart. The privatization of rangeland, which includes the right to fence land parcels and deny access to the land and resources, including water, has limited access to water for small livestock-holders and nomadic and semi-nomadic groups.

Borewell drilling has allowed increases in livestock numbers and a reduction in the movement of livestock in search of water. The increase in relatively sedentary herds has contributed to overgrazing and land degradation Hitchcock ; Taylor The Ministry of Agriculture and its Irrigation Section holds responsibility for water in the agricultural and livestock sector, and the Ministry of Local Government, Lands and Housing through District Councils oversees the water supply to rural villages.

Land Boards have authority over water access on tribal lands. The follow-on program has the goal of expanding irrigation coverage to an additional hectares ROB a; SWE The commission launched a water-sharing initiative in to promote joint fact-finding and a model of shared decision-making relating to the management of the shared resource.

The mophane tree dominates the northeastern part of the country and the hinterland of the Okavango Delta. The northern Chobe District has comparatively high rainfall and sustains belts of indigenous forest and dense bush. The area has some exploitable hardwood resources.

Further south, the Makgadikgadi pans are surrounded by treeless grass savannah. As populations have grown and become more sedentary, forest and woodland resources have become depleted, resulting in the conversion of woodlands into less productive savanna and grasslands.

Increasing desertification and habitat loss have led to increased conflicts between people and wildlife and declines in the populations of some wild species. Botswana does not have sufficient forest resources to meet its timber needs; the country imports almost all sawn wood and paper products. The country has milling facilities and imports most raw materials, exporting secondary processed products FAO An additional 39 existing campsites in national parks and game reserves have been identified for privatization in the — period World Bank ; ROB a.

A draft Forest Policy was prepared, which articulated the following goals: 1 to reinforce the role of forestry in poverty reduction; 2 to increase the contribution of forests to the regional and national economy; 3 to promote awareness of the role of forests in enhancing environmental sustainability; 4 to promote a participatory approach to conservation and sustainable use of forest resources; and 5 to create a legal framework and institutional environment to support the policy implementation.

The draft Forest Policy has not been adopted, and its status is unknown. Access to and use of forest resources is subject to the Tribal Land Act, which is consistent with customary law Adams et al.

The Department of Forestry and Range Resources is one of the seven different operational departments within the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

The Department is responsible for development and implementation of forest policy, including implementation of community-based forest and rangeland management plans.

The Department has offices in each of the administrative districts. Access to forests and use of forest resources on tribal land is governed by the Land Boards, and in some areas, by traditional authorities such as chiefs and headmen Adams et al. The government recognizes that the natural resource base has been declining due to inadequate coordination, enforcement, and management of natural resources.

Responsibility for forests was transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism in an effort to focus on conservation and the sustainable management forest resources.

During NDP 10, the government plans to create and implement holistic programs that foster conservation, sustainable management, and utilization of forest resources to ensure a continuous flow of products and services from the forests without irreversibly damaging their capacity to recover. The subsector will conduct forest inventories, promote indigenous tree planting, and intensify education and community awareness about forest resources. The subsector will continue to support Community Based Natural Resource Management CBNRM programs as a rural development and conservation strategy and to promote the sustainability of resources.

The subsector recognizes that program success may require more decentralized and participatory management of designated protected areas, and expansion of initiatives for sustained land management. The government has a long-standing Nursery, Woodlot, and Afforestation Programme that includes creation of forestry nurseries, development of village woodlots to produce firewood, and the strengthening of forestry extension activities ROB ; UN-DESA Botswana launched its community-based natural resource management program in , with assistance from USAID.

The program has included rural development projects based on the use of wildlife resources, rangeland, and veld products. The program targeted community-based organizations as the main beneficiaries and covered nine districts and more than villages. Projects include woodland management, land reclamation, and agro-forestry. The project was implemented by the Veld Products Research and Development organization, a national NGO specializing in research and development related to veld products non-timber forest products.

The project involved a variety of projects, including beekeeping, harvesting thatch and herbs, cultivation of fruit trees, and harvesting truffles. A evaluation found many project activities to have become sustainable, with new marketing chains developed, and the project was successful in including women and Basarwa people in the activities Johnson USAID completed an assessment to assist the government of Botswana to plan for biodiversity and forest conservation medium- to long-term concerns.

The assessment includes: an overview of natural resource management in Botswana and the environmental factors that influence that management; a discussion of legislative and institutional structures in Botswana that affect biodiversity; a summary of the status of natural resource management in the country; an analysis of major threats to biodiversity conservation in Botswana; and proposed actions and recommendations for USAID planning, including how proposed activities in the operational plan for USAID assistance could contribute to conservation needs USAID The diamond industry employed 16, nationals and about foreigners in , an increase in employment that reflects the effort to invest in processing activities in Botswana.

Other mineral resources being mined include coal, nickel, copper, gold, salt, and soda ash. Botswana has the second largest coal reserves in Africa after South Africa. Gold is mined in the northern eastern section of the country, near Francistown. Deposits of copper and nickel in northeastern Botswana are being developed for production. Some problems occur with some mining operations.

For example, a copper-nickel smelter at Selebi-Phikwe emitted sulphur dioxide, which caused problems for nearby residents Capital Resources During the next decade, the industry anticipates changes in its production, processing, and marketing systems. Waste recycling is scheduled to begin in and the diamond pipes are expected to reach depletion beginning in about , requiring higher-cost underground production.

The government is creating a strategy to manage the increased production costs and an anticipated sharp downturn in revenue in the latter part of the decade ahead ROB a. The government can grant a variety of rights under the Act, including licenses for prospecting, mineral concessions, and permits for industrial minerals ROB Mineral companies also pay taxes on their profits.

The Mines and Minerals Act requires that all mining operations consider environmental issues and conduct operations to preserve the natural environment to the extent possible, minimize and control waste or undue loss of or damage to natural and biological resources, and prevent, or where unavoidable promptly treat, pollution and contamination. Applicants for mining and retention licenses must prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment EIA that includes a comprehensive analysis of the pre-mining environment.

At the end of mining operations, the licensee must restore the topsoil of affected areas and substantially restore the land to the condition in which it was prior to the commencement of operations Capital Resources ; ROB The Mines and Mining Act provides that individuals and entities who are citizens or residents of Botswana can apply for rights to explore for and extract minerals.

Costs and the nature of rights granted are established and enforced by the Department of Mines. Any breach of conditions imposed can result in loss of rights and application of penalties. The Department can grant 3-year licenses for prospecting. Retention licenses are available for 3 years with one renewal and can serve to hold land rights until the time that extraction is profitable. Mining licenses are granted for periods up to years, with one year renewal possible Capital Resources ; ROB The Mines and Minerals Act allows for small-scale mining for minerals other than diamonds.

Mining permits are available for areas not exceeding 0. Permits to mine industrial minerals barite, basalt, clay, dolomite, feldspar, granite, gravel, gypsum, laterite, limestone, mica, magnesite, marble, phosphate, rock, sand, sandstone, slate and talc are reserved for Botswana citizens and wholly citizen-owned companies Capital Resources ; ROB The Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs: sets policy direction for the minerals sector; is responsible for the fiscal, legal and policy framework for mineral exploration and exploitation; and is responsible for coordinating all development and operational activities.

The Department of Geological Survey administers exploration. The Ministry administers mineral agreements, promotes investments in minerals, and liaises with bilateral and multilateral development partners on mineral-related matters. The Ministry exercises a licensing, monitoring and facilitating role in mineral exploration and exploitation, and the government maintains an interest in all large mining operations.

Botswana plans to develop a diamond trade center for rough and polished diamonds, and to continue to establish downstream industries cutting and polishing, and jewelry manufacturing. The government plans to identify additional mineral resources such as coal , to promote small- and medium-scale mining, and to regulate the minerals industry in a way that ensures the most efficient and beneficial investigation and exploitation of mineral resources, with proper regard for the health, safety and welfare of employees and environmental protection ROB a.

Beyond Borders. Signup for our newsletter. I hereby confirm that I wish to receive FairPlanet's newsletter. Humans Women's rights. January 05th, topics: Women's rights by: Cyril Zenda located in: Botswana tags: empowerment of women , farming , land rights , women's rights. Measures Towards Equal Land Ownership Unmarried women could purchase land after the Land Policy was passed, but married women and widows had always experienced exclusion from this right.

More Education Needed As an extra measure, President Masisi encouraged non-governmental organisations to teach women about their new rights.

Land Key Resource For Women Although most African and Asian farmers are women, only about 15 percent of global farmland is owned by women, according to Landesa , a global land rights campaign. Related Sustainable Development Goals. Goal Nr. Zero Hunger. Gender Equality. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Related Articles of Human Rights. Human Rights belong to everyone.

Equality before the law. Right to own property. Donate to FairPlanet. Aid-for-sex claims surge in Mozambique. New evidence confirms that internally-displaced women and girls are being sexually extorted in exchange for humanitarian aid in northern Mozambique.

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