De Beers, National Geographic partner to protect Okavango Basin

De Beers and National Geographic have launched Okavango Eternal, a strategic partnership to help protect Africa’s endangered species, ensure water and food security for more than one million people and develop livelihood opportunities for 10,000 people.
The diamond group said the five-year commitment is focused on working hand-in-hand with communities throughout Okavango to deliver shared ecological solutions that lead to collective economic opportunity.
The Okavango Basin, spanning southern Angola, eastern Namibia, and northern Botswana, is the main source of water for the Okavango Delta. 
De Beers chief executive Bruce Cleaver said by sharing the group’s expertise, resources and working with local communities, governments and other NGO partners, they will deliver a positive impact that is far greater than what anyone could achieve on their own. 
National Geographic Explorer and leader of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Steve Boyes said there is no doubt that the Okavango River Basin is under threat. 
“How we treat this delicate ecosystem in the coming years will dictate its vitality — for its people and its wildlife — for future generations,” he said.
“This is our last chance to help protect this natural wonder and we are pleased to partner with De Beers on this critically important project.”
Located in northern Botswana, the Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s most important ecosystems, unrivalled in its biodiversity, and home to the world’s largest remaining elephant population as well as lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, and hundreds of species of birds, said De Beers.
The Okavango Delta’s health is dependent on its source lakes and rivers, which carry water that originates as rain in Angola’s highlands. 
The National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project has been working to secure permanent, sustainable protection for the Okavango Basin since 2015.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished