My dissertation examines the way in which conservation policy, in relation to broader political economic dynamics, has influenced rural livelihood strategies in a set of villages around Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. More specifically, I am looking at how farming practices have changed in part as a result of increased levels of wildlife disturbance, as well as how community members do (and don't) participate in community based natural resource management projects designed to alleviate some of the costs of living near the park and provide wildlife-based benefits instead. I am also looking at the way in which rural-urban linkages (patterns of migration and remittances) are changing in the context of decreased opportunities for agriculture in these Chobe Enclave villages.
