the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

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A lack of co-ordination and consistency of approach both between and
within different tiers of government, and the assumption that local
populations will always assume the role of guardians of the quality of the
local environment (Butler, 1991, p. 48).
The next section introduces the concept of sustainability and its role in tourism
development.
2.12 The General Concept of Sustainable Development
'Sustainable development' is a phrase which gained popularity with the heightened
environmental awareness of the late 1980s. There is no universally accepted
definition of sustainable development. However, the most widely cited definition is
found in the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) report
which brought the term into common usage. According to the World Commission,
sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"
(WCED, 1987, p. 43). This most basic definition appears simple, yet much
controversy and fundamental debate is concealed within this apparently self-evident
phrase (Hunter and Green, 1995).
The above definition contains two crucial aspects: human needs and environmental
limitations. Firstly, with regard to human needs, the World Commission places
particular emphasis on the essential needs of the world's poor, to which over-riding
priority should be given. Such needs include sufficient food, clean water, shelter and
clothing, as well as the normal human aspirations for those things which contribute
to a better quality of life (e.g., higher standard of living, greater consumer choice,
more security, increased vacation opportunities, etc.). As such, the World
Commission regards the major objective of development as the satisfaction of
human needs and aspirations, and where basic needs are not being met, the World
Commission states that sustainable development clearly requires economic growth.
The position of the World Commission is less obvious with reference to the fulfilment
of aspirations in areas where basic needs are already met. If development implies
economic growth, it is by no means certain that sustainable development requires
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