Botswana’s forests once seen as infinite are now caught in a tug-of-war between survival and sustainability. On paper, Botswana’s forests seem to be thriving. Government figures indicate that forest cover expanded from 19.7 percent in 2010 to 35.8 percent by 2020. Yet behind the apparent greening lies an uncomfortable truth that the country’s growing dependence on fuelwood is straining ecosystems, widening social divides, and undermining years of hard-won environmental gains.
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