Kasane Forest Reserve (KFR) was established in 1968 as an effort to protect the only
forests of Miombo woodlands found in northern Botswana. Many ongoing activities in the region
affect forest resources both negatively and positively. However, dynamics of the relation ship
between local residents and KFR in relation to different socio-economic and demographic factors
remains poorly understood.
This study aims to explore the relationship between the local communities and the Kasane
Forest Reserve by analyzing the extend of households dependency on KFR and its impacts on
residents conservation attitudes. The study further assesses stakeholders’ preferred management
strategy/option by examining three management options; State Forest Management (SFM),
Participatory Forest Management (PFM) and Community Forest Management (CFM)
Questionnaires were administered to two hundred and thirty seven households in three
communities surrounding KFR to estimate their dependency and attitudes towards KFR. Logistic
regression was employed to analyze the relationship between Forest dependency and explanatory
factors and also conservation attitudes and other explanatory factors. Descriptive results
demonstrate the majority or respondents rely on KFR for firewood collection and there is a
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diversity of the local communities living in the periphery in terms of socio economic interests,
skills, demographic history and wealth. Logistic regression indicates that wealth assets and
family size influence household collection of forest products from KFR. Education and age are
found to be significant predictors of conservation attitudes. For any resource, conservation
initiative to be effective, the initiative should incorporate and work within the existing social
environment .The logistic models derived in the study provide useful information for managers/
policy makers in the formulation of management strategies.
Analytic Hierarchy process (AHP) was used to analyze the stakeholders’ preferred
management practice/strategy. All stakeholders (forestry, wildlife and tourism officers and local
community representatives) preferred PFM. Local communities’ representatives appeared to be
wary of taking responsibility for forest management at this time and indicated comparatively
stronger support for PFM. The state agents on the other hand recognize their incapacity to ensure
integrity of the forest resources in the future without the local communities’ co-operation. This
study corroborates the view that total devolution of forest management to local communities has
been overemphasized, therefore rather than narrowing forest management around communities
or the state, an all inclusive approach such as PFM, provides for greater management input by all
stakeholders..