Okavango River Under Threat of Development
Host: The Okavango River is one of the last great undeveloped rivers in
Africa but it won’t remain so for long. The countries it flows
through now want to use Okavango waters to help develop their
economies. Unless a binding agreement is made, the river and its
water could become a potential source of regional conflict.
The Okavango is shared by three countries: Starting in Angola, the
river flows along the Namibian border and drains out into the
Kalahari Desert in Botswana. About ten thousand million cubic
meters of water per year empty as the Okavango delta. See
relatively unspoiled wet land and a World Heritage Site. The delta
is home to a diversity of plant and animal life, virtually unrivalled
in Africa.
Peter Ashton: The Okavango is extraordinarily special. It’s one of the most
unique mixes of different habitats in terms of the variety and
numbers of habitats that is over a hundred and fifty-five thousand
islands in it. The huge ranged of clamps and animal and bird
species as a whole, it's extraordinary, it's special, and it’s unique.
Gubaake Gubaake: Mostly of us you know have nothing to see you know this one ends
up in the desert. So it's very unique in that sense and the beauty of
it is just amazing going to -- it’s an amazing place.
Host: But the Okavango is more than just a wildlife sanctuary over a
million people is also dependents on the deltas riches.
Tony Turton: It's the last wild African river and because of that you have a very
closed relationship between the humans that live in the area and
the eco system. They see themselves as part of the ecosystem, they
see the river is having a spiritual value to them and they respect
that.
Host: People here are worried that if the river is developed upstream the
delta will dry out and they’ll lose their life line.
Big Boy: This River is important to me and also to the people around
because you know we gather fruits form this river, organic foods
that you know water released fruits from trees, fish, and --
If the grasses dry up people will die. We will die of thirsty also
they will -- because they used this create this fruit and all fish in
this river.
Host: Geologically the delta is a very fragile place size make changes
deep below the surface can swallow up streams living villagers
stranded. The ferry’s that with more development upstream but
delta could dry up all together.
Malepe Mosarozi: The dryness that we see in our area affected one of the whole of
land. As we can see this tree behind me it is very dry, it has been
dry for a quite a long time. And this is actually is difficult situation
for us.
Host: With local communities entirely dependent on water that comes
from an upstream country and two decades of sever dryness in the
region. The river levels are already very low. People struggle to
make a living as it is.
Mazungra Moheto: We have certain problems. With this we can only give use about
five, six or seven fish.
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