Botswana presents an example of a relatively successful programme of drought relief management in the Southern African region. The programme has evolved over a long period and has been reasonably effective in safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable population groups, particularly during the long drought of 1982–1987 as well as more recently in 1992. The key contributory factors include: a small and largely accessible national population, availability of domestic and international resources, existence of rural infrastructure, government commitment, district-level capacity and a timely and fairly comprehensive food security and nutrition monitoring system. The main focus of this paper is on the role of the food security and nutrition monitoring system in Botswana's drought relief management, the context for its operation, and its use in policy making and programme design. The evolution of the information system and institutional coordination thereof is traced with analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the drought relief programme is assessed in the context of persistent poverty, growing inequalities and of recent changes which aim to bring about some reduction of state subsidies. Conclusions and policy implications are drawn and their relevance for other African countries is outlined.