This work considers the use of mainly Thematic Mapper data in providing an assessment of the relative impact of different land management strategies on the natural vegetation cover in part of the sensitive Okavango area in Botswana. Considerable attention has been focused on the use of satellite imagery and GIS analysis techniques, and their role in providing data to help resolve resource conflicts. Data derived from Satellite imagery has been used in this context to show the extent of human induced degradation as opposed to that driven by droughts or seasonal effects.