Analysis of Population Growth and Land Use in Pelaneng Bokong: Implications for Resource Management and Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

The question of whether population growth can contribute to environmental degradation and undermine efforts to manage resources sustainably and ultimately impairing agricultural development is a long-standing concern. This paper uses a three-tier methodology consisting of analysis of population dynamics, mapping of land use and changes, and superimposition of the two data sets to analyse the consequences of population pressure on the environment, especially on land resources. It draws implications for natural resource management and sustainable agriculture in the Pelaneng Bokong area. The analysis of population-land use relationship confirms a positive correlation between population growth and settlement expansion. Similarly, the rate at which settlements are growing seem to correlate with the rate at which rangelands are decreasing. However, the situation is different with cropland whereby fluctuations in the size of cropland have been observed despite significant population increases, thus indicating lack of correlation between population growth and size of cropland. Population growth in the Pelaneng Bokong area has also resulted into decrease of rangelands that are being converted into other uses namely settlements and cropland. Interestingly, the decrease in the availability of rangeland has not been accompanied by proportional reduction in livestock numbers thus resulting in overgrazing, decline in productivity as well as livelihoods and food security. The conversion of rangelands to other uses in most cases has meant clearing of grass cover, which has exposed soil to erosional forces, consequently reducing prospects for sustainable resource management and agriculture production.