| This thesis provides a picture of bureaucratic decision-making in Botswana by describing civil servants' successes and failures in integrating environmental concerns into their policy decisions. It draws on four cases of natural resource management and land use--fuelwood scarcity; water development; overgrazing and rangeland management; and conflicts involving cattle and wildlife--to illustrate that civil servants tend to incorporate environmental matters around the periphery of their decisions rather than as an integral part of their policies.;The existing, sectoral organization of Botswana's civil service, by favoring entrenched interests and hindering inter-agency coordination, contributes to this marginalization of environmental interests. The degree to which environmental concerns are integrated into bureaucrats' decisions is determined by the relative strength of constituencies and their effect on institutional priorities, structures and resources. For example, the relative weakness of environmental constituencies gives responsible agencies low status and limited capacity. In contrast, those working in areas where constituencies are strong tend to have significant authority and resources. This institutional setting compels civil servants working in the environmental realm to merge their programs with those of other, more powerful agencies. Because these agencies sometimes have conflicting objectives, this strategy often results merely in a cosmetic shift in project objectives rather than a wholesale incorporation of environmental concerns.;The institutional structure and allocation of resources also enhances the power of individual civil servants. Frequently, the capability and authority of civil servants working in established sectors, such as livestock production or water development, give them significant independence over their decisions. In these instances, their personal characteristics become the critical ingredients affecting whether environmental concerns are incorporated into their decisions.;The influence of individual civil servants is further reinforced by their superior technical expertise. However, their technocratic approach to issues has several risks--namely the justification of inappropriate policies and neglect of community input--which may be detrimental to an environmentally-sustainable agenda.;Finally, this thesis explores several policy areas--such as the strengthening of environmental constituencies and the modification of bureaucratic incentive structures--which could encourage greater consideration of environmental concerns in decision-making. |
