The Okavango Delta is a wetland home to more than 1000 life-forms - from humans to 400+ species of birds, 200+ species of mammals, 150+ reptiles, countless fish, insects, mollusca and a plethora of flora! 

"Seen from space, high above Africa, the Okavango Delta resembles a gigantic starburst blossom pressed onto the landscape of northern Botswana, its stem angling southeastward from the Namibian border, its petals of silvery water splayed out for a hundred miles across the Kalahari Basin. It is one of the planet’s great wetlands, a vast splash of life-nurturing channels and lagoons and seasonal ponds amid a severely dry region of the continent. This delta doesn’t open to the sea. Contained entirely within the basin, it comes to a halt along a southeastern perimeter and disappears into the deep Kalahari sands. It can be thought of as the world’s largest oasis, a wet refuge supporting elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and wild dogs; lechwe and sitatungas and other wetland antelopes; warthogs and buffalo, lions and zebras, and birdlife of wondrous diversity and abundance—not to mention a tourism industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. But from high in space, you won’t see the hippos on their day beds. You won’t see the wild dogs hunkered in shade beneath thorn scrub or the glad expressions on the faces of visitors and local entrepreneurs. Another thing you won’t see is the source of all that water." National Geographic 2017

With an introduction like that who wouldn’t want to travel to the Okavango Delta at least once in their life-time? Unfortunately that might not be a reality for some of us. Never mind future generations - we, right now might be witnessing the beginning of the end of the Okavango Delta as we know it. 

"Permits have been issued to prospect, drill, and ultimately extract oil and gas over 8.4 million acres of the Kalahari Desert in Namibia and Botswana extending to the south eastern banks of the Okavango River and Okavango Delta. The permits are held by inter-linked companies: in Namibia Canadian Reconnaissance Oil and Gas (ReConAfrica), registered as Reconnaissance Energy Namibia (PTY) LTD and in Botswana Craig Steinke of Renaissance Oil Corporation. On January 10, ReConAfrica commenced drilling operations on the first exploration well (6-2) located in Kawe in the Omatako riverbed, which drains into the Okavango Delta. In communications with investors and the media ReConAfrica have said they anticipate both conventional and unconventional (e.g. fracking) methods will be used to extract the oil and gas from the shale rock basin if this exploration is successful." culturalsurvival.org 2021

The Okavango Delta is home to so many of us who have grown up with the music of nature, the magic of the perennial rains and the abundance of life that this jewel in the desert has to offer. We must fight for our home and protect it at all costs. If fracking is allowed to continue, the Okavango Delta will cease to exist as we know it. No water means no vegetation which means no animals which means no tourism which means no camps and lodges, no game viewing drives, cruises or helicopter flights, no catering, no recreational activities, no livelihoods = no income. 

Let’s act now and place this on an international scale and fight back against the greed, corruption and injustices of capitalism.

#SaveTheOkavangoDelta