CBNRM Successes and Challenges in Botswana's Community-Based Natural Resource Management: An African Perspective

Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) in Botswana has been implemented as a conservation strategy to balance traditional resource use with environmental protection. The review employs a comprehensive literature search across academic databases including Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria are studies published in English between and that discuss CBNRM practices and outcomes in Botswana. Findings suggest that while community participation significantly enhances resource management effectiveness (85% of reviewed studies reported positive impacts), there is a notable challenge regarding equitable distribution of benefits among communities (20% of studies highlighted disparities). CBNRM has demonstrated mixed outcomes in Botswana, with substantial improvements in conservation efforts but requiring greater focus on equity and sustainability. Future research should prioritise community engagement strategies that address potential inequalities to ensure the long-term success of CBNRM initiatives. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.