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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | People of the Two-Way River: Socioeconomic Change and Natural Resource Management in the Nata River Region |
Authors: | Hitchcock, Robert K. Nangati, Fanuel M. |
Year: | 2000 |
Periodical: | Botswana Notes and Records (ISSN 0525-5090) |
Volume: | 32 |
Pages: | 85-105 |
Language: | English |
Notes: | biblio. refs., ills., maps |
Geographic terms: | Botswana Zimbabwe Southern Africa |
Subjects: | San development natural resources Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Development and Technology Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Environment, Ecology water supply Resources management ecology Nata River (Botswana) Economic change social change Water utilization |
External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/40980268 |
Abstract: | This paper discusses the changes over time in the ecology of the Nata River (northern Botswana) and assesses their impact on the socioeconomic systems of the population that utilize the river's water and the resources associated with it. The focus is on the period from the late 19th century up to the present. The population with the longest history of residence in the Nata region is the Basarwa. The largest Basarwa group in northern Botswana is the Tyua. The Nata River provides a wide variety of ecological services and resources that help sustain plant, animal and human populations. Having the ability to graze livestock along the river is crucial to the well-being of agropastoral populations, and the pools in the river serve as a crucial fallback resource during winter and during drought periods. At the same time, there are conflicts between livestock users and those exploiting fish and other resources in the river. Men, women and children utilize the river not only for collecting water, but also for washing clothes and dishes, collecting reeds and firewood along its banks, and sometimes fishing. Women noted that the level of the river is of crucial concern to them. The early floods of the river at the beginning of the rainy season bring health problems. Attention is also paid to the impact the establishment of a conservation area, the Nata Sanctuary, has had on Nata River residents. Bibliogr. [ASC Leiden abstract] |