The Okavango Delta has received a lifeline as the Angolan government becomes party to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance- Ramsar Convention. The decision to become party to the Convention allaysfears by countries like Botswana about the Angolan government engaging in activities that were likely to threaten the survival of the Okavango Delta ecosystem.
It has always been in the best interest of Botswana that the Angolans recognize the value of tourism as a crucial component of economic diversification, therefore abandoning any plans that threaten the very existence of the Delta.
The 10,000-square-mile Okavango wetland basin sprawls across the borders of Botswana, Namibia and Angola and is home to the largest remaining population of elephants. The Cuito River, one of the channels that feed into the Delta has in the past faced threats of proposed dams and agricultural activities from Angola.
By being the 172nd country to join the Ramsar Convention, Angola makes a commitment to ensure protection against the threats of exploitation of natural resources, climate and land use changes.
“The Secretariat is pleased to announce that the Republic of Angola has acceded to the Convention on Wetlands as amended in 1982 and 1987, as its 172nd Contracting Party. The Convention entered into force for Angola on 10 October 2021,” reads a statement from Ramsar. “Angola is proposing to designate ten wetland areas for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites). These cover coastal and inland wetlands which are rich in biodiversity and include many rare and notable plants and animals. Designation as Ramsar Sites will provide protection from the threats of natural resource exploitation, land use change and climate change.”
The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to become “Contracting Parties”. Botswana joined the Convention in 1997.
Prior to this announcement by Ramsar, Sunday Standard spoke to the Tourism authority in Angola earlier this year to establish the government’s future plans for their side of the Okavango.
“The Angola region of Okavango is the less developed part of the entire Okavango. We need to explore the natural resources in our side in a sustainable way to diversify our economy through tourism and other cross cutting sectors and bring prosperity for the community living there,” Rui Jorge Da Silva Lisboa, CEO of Angola’s National Agency for Management of Okavango Region told this publication in August, 2021.
He said they expected to enjoy the support and the understanding of all countries involved in the ecosystem, saying the Okavango must derive benefits for everyone involved.
Botswana has not been without its fair share of controversy relating to activities that endanger the survival of the Delta. This follows the Botswana government’s decision to allow Canadian oil and gas Company ReconAfrica to undertake exploration activities in areas close to the Okavango Delta.
The Ministry of Minerals announced earlier this year(2021) that Recon Botswana (ReconAfrica subsidiary) had begun its activities in Botswana focused on acquiring and processing, analysis and interpretation of gravity and high resolution aeromagnetic data and commissioning of the Environmental Impact Assessment process and obtaining of relevant environmental permits to conduct exploration activities.
Drilling by ReconAfrica is already underway in Namibia where the company holds a 90 percent interest in a petroleum exploration license in the northeast region.
The exploration license covers the entire Kavango sedimentary basin, an area of approximately 25,341.33 sq km which, based on commercial success, entitles ReconAfrica to obtain a 25 year production license.
