Botswana

In this chapter we assess the vulnerability of Botswana’s agriculture to climate change, with special emphasis on impacts on the poor. The agriculture sector is inherently vulnerable to climate change, and Botswana’s semiarid climate already severely limits agricultural production. Following a broad overview of current economic and demographic indicators, land use, and agricultural performance, we summarize the current state of institutional policy, programs, and strategies relating to agriculture and climate change. The section “Scenarios for the Future†summarizes projected economic and demographic trends, as well as the results of the modeled biophysical scenarios relating to climate and crop production as they apply to Botswana. The analysis of these scenarios addresses specific areas of agricultural vulnerability to climate change, taking into account projected trends in global agricultural commodity prices in relation to climate change.