| dc.description.abstract |
"The Ju/'hoan (!Kung, Ju/Wasi) Bushmen are a population of Khoisan-speaking former hunter-gatherers residing in northeastern Namibia and the northwestern Kalahari Desert region of Botswana. Today the Ju/'hoansi pursue a mixed economy, combining foraging with livestock production, small-scale dryland agriculture, craft manufacture, and wage labor in the 6,300 square kilometer area of Nyae Nyae in eastern Otjozondjupa region. Traditionally, the Ju/'hoansi were organized as bands of individuals centered on and supported by the resources of a n!ore, the Ju/'hoansi word meaning 'the place to which you belong.' The N!ore system of tenure and usufruct rights formed the basis of an effective common property management system.
"In 1970, Bushmanland was established as the homeland for the Bushmen and the Ju/'hoansi lost 90% of their traditional land and all but one of their permanent waterholes. They also lost the right to use and manage their wildlife resources as the decided. Local systems for managing resources were weakened. In addition, increasing population around and in Nyae Nyae brought increased numbers of livestock and pressures on the resources.
"Until recently, all revenue generated from the exploitation of wildlife in Namibia has gone to the State coffers to be used to benefit central government bureaucracies and communities living far from the wildlife itself. The people who live with the wildlife, however, continue to be denied access to these resources, which may cause loss of life, livestock, and crops. Under recent policy reform, legislation has been passed that gives communities the right to sustainably manage and benefit directly from wildlife. That is, communities have been re-empowered to manage common property.
"In response, the community in Nyae Nyae has established a community-ranger program to monitor wildlife and other resources. The Board of Management of the NNFC has evolved into the decision-making body responsible for common property resources. Data is provided by the rangers to the Board who makes decisions regarding resource management rules, and enforcement, including offtake quotas. Decentralized units (e.g.: districts) make local decisions about the use of benefits." |
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