The government plan was to increase the water supply to Maun and to the diamond mines 160 miles away in Orapa. This was met with opposition from locals, who watched a section of the Boro silt up and degrade after a similar dredging operation 20 years ago. If the attempted dredging constituted the first time that the government had gone over the heads of the local population, it also marked the first time that opponents to the project appealed to the international community for a second opinion. The project is currently on hold while the World Conservation Union studies it. The issue has split Botswana's conservation community and spawned a new conservation group.
Relationships are strained.
The painful process of growth is under way. But painful growth is going to be the name of the game as Botswana weighs the benefits of its pristine wild areas against the needs of an exploding population. Botswana has done what it can to steer away from mass tourism, has an environmental movement that's growing up fast, and enjoys a receptive, peaceful government. With enormous, wide-open spaces, Botswana may have a better chance than other African nations of safeguarding its precious wilderness for the next generation. All rights reserved.