The Okavango Basin's Biodiversity

The main attraction

A lion scans the broad savanna, which is home to numerous herds of birds of prey. A substantial number of apex predators can be found in healthy ecosystems like the Delta because explosions of plant life further down the food chain can support bigger numbers of herbivores, which can turn maintain larger predators. Just as the Delta attracts large creatures such as lions, the big cats attract international tourists, who account for about 12% of Botswana's annual revenue and support many jobs. Decades of conflict in Angola, where the Delta's source waters are found, have caused vast numbers of iconic large mammals, such as lions, buffalo, and especially elephants, to migrate further down the Okavango River Basin, where the ecosystem can't always support their increased numbers, causing the wider ecosystem to become out of balance.

A well-balanced ecosystem

In Botswana's Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site that supports critically important populations of rare and endangered species, an ancient baobab tree sits among other trees. Trillions of litres of life-giving water flood this portion of the parched Kalahari Desert every year, changing it into a tapestry of habitats that support remarkable biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem—forming a breathtaking scene. The animal levels observed here, especially in such a dry region of Botswana, are a rarity across Africa, and rich biodiversity like this is an indicator of overall ecosystem health.

Unprecedented Abundance

An massive herd of Cape buffalo thunders across an Okavango Delta floodplain, shrouded in dust. As they graze and stomp through the undergrowth, buffalo modify the environment, leaving places open for predators to hunt. A change in one species can have a huge impact on others, potentially transforming the ecosystem as a whole. Certain plant life can only be pollinated by specific insects or birds; if those species go extinct, herbivores like buffalo will lose their food source, and buffalo will no longer be able to support or alter the habitat for other animals.

A fragile equilibrium

Near an Angola source lake for the Cuanavale River, one of the rivers that feeds the Delta, a spider sits in its dewy web. While the Okavango Delta is a healthy ecosystem, it is part of a much wider system that runs the length of the Okavango River Basin, starting with the source waters in Angola's huge miombo forests. The National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project has been studying biodiversity along the rivers with an emphasis on an area in southeastern Angola to determine the health of this wider ecosystem, as well as the impact any changes may have on the Delta. De Beers has partnered with National Geographic through the Okavango Eternal alliance to fund the continuation of this research. Their common goal is to ensure that protected status, similar to that which protects the Delta, is extended throughout the Basin, into Namibia, and into Angola.

From the well to the sand

In Angola, a pied kingfisher is mid-snack. These birds dive headfirst into the water to catch fish, crabs, and huge aquatic invertebrates. The pied kingfisher, like many other wetland birds, is an essential indication of ecological health—more prey means more birds. If the system's health deteriorates, birds will simply "select with their wings" and migrate to new locations where there is more food. The existence of pied kingfishers in Angola, Botswana, and along the rivers of the Okavango River Basin demonstrates the ecosystem's linked character. The birds' widespread presence throughout the Basin suggests that there is plenty of good habitat from the source waters to the Delta. Much of the Okavango River system is presently threatened by deforestation as land is turned over to commercial agriculture. Protecting all of this habitat is critical.

Engineers who work with ecosystems

Elephants in the African savanna are a keystone species that shape the environment around them. They maintain the terrain open for plains animals to roam by eating bushes and uprooting saplings, literally opening the way for biodiversity to take root and blossom. Elephants become nature's gardeners after laying the groundwork, keeping plant development under control and environments shaped. However, too many elephants in one location can disrupt the ecosystem's equilibrium; the large creatures require up to 135 kilogrammes (300 pounds) of food each day, which can deplete a habitat's resources.

Bring in the contractors.

Frowin Becker, a Namibian biologist, tosses a net along the Cubango River to gather fish samples. Elephants will play a major role in connecting the relatively unknown habitats in Angola to the booming Delta in Botswana, according to scientists within the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, which is currently backed by Okavango Eternal. These ecological engineers can use their qualifications to create a "wildlife superhighway" throughout the Okavango River Basin, allowing other species to freely travel around. Governments, conservation organisations, and local communities have already set aside land to allow elephant migrations, but the partnership's goal is to conserve the life-giving waterways, giving elephant herds the security they require to retrace their ancient migration patterns.

Giants in Motion

Elephants were driven out of Angola by decades of war and into Botswana, where they found a safe sanctuary in the Okavango Delta. Another issue tilting the scales of this ecosystem is the presence of too many elephants in the Okavango River Basin's south and nearly none in the north. De Beers has dealt with a similar problem before: De Beers is in the process of relocating roughly 200 elephants from South Africa's Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, where safe conditions have resulted in an overabundance of elephants, to a terrain entirely barren of elephants in Mozambique, where the first family groupings are settling in nicely. De Beers is offering its conservation expertise to support Okavango Eternal's biodiversity goals, having managed nature reserves and conservation projects for nearly 130 years.

Getting Caught in the Act

A vervet monkey examines a remote camera, which it has never seen before. Angolan animals has become wary and mistrust of humans as a result of decades of conflict, making it difficult to document and research their behaviour. The continued research of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, which involves a mutually beneficial remote camera project collaboration between researchers and neighbouring tribes, will be supported by Okavango Eternal. Local communities are given cameras, and locals place them up in remote areas in the hopes of capturing some rare animal. Communities are compensated for their images, and they are informed about the significance of their discoveries on a regular basis. This cooperative method raises awareness and urges local residents to refrain from harming habitats by employing destructive activities such as setting fire to flush animals out into the open for hunting.

The search for knowledge

A chameleon sits on the finger of Timotéo Julio, a local herpetologist, near the settlement of Tempué, Angola. The NGOWP has identified a slew of new species, particularly in Angola, after seven large biodiversity surveys, and has recognised the necessity to research these species and their ecosystems throughout time. Okavango Eternal is supporting the training and research of other indigenous scientists and students in Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, in fields including botany, ornithology, and biology. The results of these specialists will highlight the importance of preserving and protecting the Okavango Delta's biodiversity.