Botswana’s scientific community received global recognition recently when Goabao researchers with the Nkashi Trust, participated in the prestigious National Geographic International Explorers Festival held at The Galleria in Johannesburg.
Goabaone Ramatlapeng, one of the trio research team, attended the festival alongside fellow Botswana researchers Charles Mpofu and Koki, joining a diverse group of global explorers, scientists, conservationists, filmmakers, and storytellers dedicated to protecting the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems.
Reflecting on the experience, Ramatlapeng described the honour of representing Botswana on such a prominent international stage.
“Representing Botswana at the National Geographic International Explorers Festival was both an honor and a highly inspiring experience,” she said. “Professionally, it felt like a powerful affirmation that the research we are doing in the Okavango Delta is not only locally meaningful, but also contributing to global conversations on conservation, water security, and community-driven science.”
A core theme of the festival was the fusion of storytelling with scientific research—something Ramatlapeng says aligns naturally with work done by Nkashi Trust in the Okavango Delta.
“In the Okavango, science and storytelling are inseparable local communities hold deep ecological and hydrological knowledge, cultural memory, and lived experience that enrich scientific understanding,” she explained. She added that effective science should be communicated “in ways that people can connect with emotionally and culturally,” noting that storytelling builds bridges between evidence and lived experience.
Engaging with explorers from across the continent also opened new collaborative possibilities.
“One of the most valuable insights was recognizing how interconnected our challenges are across the continent,” she said, referencing conversations with researchers working in deserts, tropical forests, and coastal ecosystems. She noted that these exchanges sparked ideas for joint hydrology projects, citizen science initiatives, and comparative studies led by African scientists.
Ramatlapeng’s research focuses on water chemistry in the Okavango Delta—a critical freshwater system in one of the driest countries in the world. Growing up in Botswana shaped her passion for addressing water scarcity.
“My research focuses on understanding how water chemistry changes both across space and over time in rivers in arid environments,” she explained. Even subtle chemical changes, she said, can reveal much larger shifts in ecosystem health.
“The Okavango is a crucial freshwater lifeline… yet its water quality is highly sensitive to climate variability, changing flows, and human pressures.” Her work aims to strengthen Botswana’s long-term water security and preserve one of the world’s most important freshwater ecosystems.
Looking ahead, Ramatlapeng hopes to leverage the networks formed at the festival to expand research opportunities and mentorship for young scientists.
“The festival opened doors to networks, mentors, and collaborators who share a commitment to innovative research and community-centred science,” she said. Most importantly, she hopes her journey proves that world-class research can be done from home.
“If my journey encourages even one young person to pursue science or conservation, then this experience will have lasting impact.”
