Aid and the environment: The case of Botswana

Botswana has serious environmental problems which, if not addressed, will undermine the attainment of sustainable economic development. This study attempts to determine what aid flows have actually been doing with regard to the environment in Botswana. The results show that although both the national government of Botswana and top aid donors have concerns for environmental sustainability in sustainable economic development, the actual amount allocated to the sector is an insignificant proportion of the overall development budget. This will undermine national and global objectives of attaining lasting environmental and economic development. The donor agencies interviewed during the course of this study suggested that the government of Botswana needs to prioritize the environmental sector and coordinate the donor aid disbursed to the sector.