World Heritage Listing for the Okavango Delta.

World Heritage Listing for the Okavango Delta.

Karen Ross, Wilderness Foundation

Botswana’s Okavango DeltaBotswana’s Okavango Delta• Fed by waters from the Angolan highlands, the Cuito and Cubango Rivers join to

form the Kavango River which travels along the Namibia border into the Caprivi Strip.

•On reaching Botswana the river slows and spreads out across the Kalahari sands to form the a unique inland delta, at the end point of the entire Okavango River Basin.

The delta is internationally recognised as a key seasonal refuge for large migratory mammals…..

Zebra, wildebeest & buffalo

As well as these, the Okavango Delta is a refuge to threatened and endangered species including rhinos, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs … and numerable smaller species including plants and birds

elephants

The delta is also a wetland oasis for many ecologically important flagship species

including

Sitatunga, Lions

and Red Lechwe

It is also a haven for smaller animals

from kingfishers to reed frogs

But …… this fragile desert wetland is vulnerable to any developmental changes upstream or around its borders.

The hydrology of the Okavango Delta depends on upstream inflow from Angola

as well as local rainfall in Botswana

1990 – dry period 2000 – wet period

The Annual floods bring life-giving The Annual floods bring life-giving water to the Okavango Delta each water to the Okavango Delta each

yearyear

The annual flooding of the The annual flooding of the Delta occurs when rains in Delta occurs when rains in Angola collect and travel Angola collect and travel through the river basin. through the river basin.

Reaching the Delta the Reaching the Delta the Okavango River floods its Okavango River floods its banks across thousands of banks across thousands of square kilometers of dry square kilometers of dry sandy grasslands.sandy grasslands.

This transforms the parched This transforms the parched landscape in the dry season, landscape in the dry season, when food and water are when food and water are most needed by the Delta’s most needed by the Delta’s inhabitants. inhabitants.

Because the Delta is the endpoint of a wetland system spanning three

countries, actions upstream have

profound implications for the Delta’s

ecological health.

Because the Delta is the endpoint of a wetland system spanning three

countries, actions upstream have

profound implications for the Delta’s

ecological health.

Angola

Namibia

Botswana

Water flow

Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

The Okavango Delta is a globally unique freshwater inland Delta, The Okavango Delta is a globally unique freshwater inland Delta, biologically rich and vital to ecosystem services, which is an example biologically rich and vital to ecosystem services, which is an example of of intactness in a wetland and integrity as a natural systemintactness in a wetland and integrity as a natural systemSUMMARY OF QUALITIESSUMMARY OF QUALITIES

A pristine inland Delta measuring over 16,000 square kilometers in size which A pristine inland Delta measuring over 16,000 square kilometers in size which supports the lives of over 50,000 people by providing freshwater, food, buildingsupports the lives of over 50,000 people by providing freshwater, food, building materials, medicinal plants as well as employment through a viable tourist industrymaterials, medicinal plants as well as employment through a viable tourist industry

A wetland in an otherwise arid environment that is an extension of Botswana’s A wetland in an otherwise arid environment that is an extension of Botswana’s Kalahari desert, and incorporating a variety of habitats including woodlands, riverine Kalahari desert, and incorporating a variety of habitats including woodlands, riverine

forests grasslands, floodplains and sand veldt islandsforests grasslands, floodplains and sand veldt islands

The Delta supports an outstanding biodiversity of life including 150 species of The Delta supports an outstanding biodiversity of life including 150 species of mammals, over 500 species of birds, 90 species of fish, as well as plants, mammals, over 500 species of birds, 90 species of fish, as well as plants, reptiles, invertebrates and amphibiansreptiles, invertebrates and amphibians

It supports globally threatened and endangered species including wild dogs, It supports globally threatened and endangered species including wild dogs, cheetahs, lions, black and white rhinos and sitatunga antelopes and ome to cheetahs, lions, black and white rhinos and sitatunga antelopes and ome to endemic species such as endemic species such as Eriospermum linearifoliumEriospermum linearifolium and and Adenium boehmianumAdenium boehmianum

WORLD HERITAGE CRITERIAWORLD HERITAGE CRITERIA

The Okavango Delta fulfills Criteria vii) to x) for Natural SitesThe Okavango Delta fulfills Criteria vii) to x) for Natural Sites

vii) Contains superlative natural phenomena and natural beautyvii) Contains superlative natural phenomena and natural beautyviii) An outstanding example of geologic process – an inland alluvial viii) An outstanding example of geologic process – an inland alluvial

fan which is the extension of the East African Rift Valley systemfan which is the extension of the East African Rift Valley systemix) An outstanding example of ecological and hydrological processix) An outstanding example of ecological and hydrological processx) A natural habitat for the conservation of biological diversity x) A natural habitat for the conservation of biological diversity

containing threatened species of outstanding universal value.containing threatened species of outstanding universal value.

MANAGEMENT:MANAGEMENT:The Okavango delta is an International Ramsar Site, which is managedThe Okavango delta is an International Ramsar Site, which is managedaccording to several government plans including the Okavango Delta according to several government plans including the Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP) and the recently completed Ngamiland Integrated Management Plan (ODMP) and the recently completed Ngamiland Integrated Land Use PlanLand Use PlanPROTECTION:PROTECTION:Apart from Moremi Game Reserve and Ramsar designation, the Okavango Apart from Moremi Game Reserve and Ramsar designation, the Okavango Delta has no other over-arching legal protection (see map below)Delta has no other over-arching legal protection (see map below)

Landscape planning and transboundary protected Landscape planning and transboundary protected areasareas

As this map shows, the life-artery of the Okavango Delta has no legal protection……

International Conventions to provide landscape conservation

• The Ramsar Convention

• The World Heritage Convention (UNESCO)

• The Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM)

PUTTING OKAVANGO DELTA ON THE TENTATIVE LISTPUTTING OKAVANGO DELTA ON THE TENTATIVE LIST

BOTSWANA – THE QUESTION IS – DO YOU RECOGNISE THE OKAVANGO DELTA AS YOUR GLOBAL TREASURE, THAT DESERVES TO BE ENSCRIPTED BY THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION?