The quality of Botswana's environmental protection regulatory framework.

Madebwe, Tinashe

Abstract

This article explores why Botswana's environmental protection regulatory framework is failing to stem environmental deterioration. Based on the observation that such deterioration persists despite the fact that there is a framework in place, the discussion draws from experience with successful environmental protection regulatory frameworks around the world. The discussion establishes that successful environmental protection regulatory frameworks incorporate numerical quality and ecological standards, a command and control approach (with context-sensitive alternatives to account for the limitations of this approach), and credible enforcement mechanisms. This article measures the extent to which Botswana's environmental protection regulatory framework incorporates these elements. It identifies that the reason why the framework has failed to stem environmental deterioration is that it does not adequately incorporate these qualities and proposes how this could be addressed going forward.

Citation

MADEBWE, T. 2020. The quality of Botswana's environmental protection regulatory framework. Journal of African law [online], 64(2), pages 215-228. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855320000078

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 20, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Mar 20, 2020
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2020
• Deposit Date: Oct 17, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 26, 2023
• Journal: Journal of African law
• Print ISSN: 0021-8553
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-3731
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 64
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 215-228
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855320000078
• Keywords: Environmental law; Environmental conservation; Environmental protection; Botswana
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2054363