This paper aims to encourage an economic view on resource utilisation in Wildlife Management Areas in Botswana, as successful CBNRM projects are not only expected to be ecologically sustainable but also economically viable. The use of economic concepts, methodologies and the availability of economic data are vital to be able to assess the viability of land use options under community management. The paper from Jaap Arntzen, who is director of the Applied Research Centre in Gaborone makes very clear that the necessary data to make the economic assessments are at present largely lacking. We hope that the relevant organisations find the argument convincing enough to start collecting and analysing the necessary economic information and to look at CBNRM regularly "through the glasses of an Economist".