Centralization,resource depletion,and coercive conservation among the Tyua of the Northeastern Kalahari

The colonial and post-colonial governments of Botswana and Zimbabwe pursued policies toward their indigenous minority populations which included the establishment of settlement schemes, removals of people from national parks and game reserves, and the imposition of restrictions on hunting by local people. These polices had the effect of dispossessing indigenous groups and reducing their access to resources crucial to their adaptive success. The impacts of these polices are examined using data on Tyua Bushmen in the Nata river region of northern Botswana and western Zimbabwe. It demonstrates that the kinds of conservation and development programs employed resulted in greater resource depletion, increased poverty, and social stratification. There is evidence that resource conservation programs can sometimes do more harm than good.