The government of Botswana regularly submits a State of Conservation (SoC) report to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, as required under the World Heritage Convention. This re-port provides updates on the ecological health of the Okavango Delta, highlights emerging threats, outlines mitigation strategies, and sets a course for preserving its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The most recent report was submitted on December 1, 2024, and the next will be presented at the 47th UNESCO Committee meeting in France in July 2025.
Designated in June 2014 as UNESCO’s 1,000th World Heritage Site, the Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s largest and most pristine inland wetlands. It is home to a remarkable diversity of wildlife—including elephants, lions, hippos, and endangered rhinos—and provides essential eco-system services to communities across Botswana, Angola, and Namibia. Each SoC report serves as a periodic accountability measure, offering updated data, policy developments, and assess-ments of new and ongoing threats.
Key topics addressed in recent SoC reports include:
Okavango Delta Management Plan (2021–2027): This comprehensive plan guides biodiversi-ty conservation, tourism, water management, community engagement, and control of invasive species.
Invasive Species Control: Community-led biological methods are being used to combat inva-sive aquatic plants like Salvinia molesta,
Transboundary Water Governance: Through the Okavango Basin Water Commission (OKACOM), Botswana, Angola, and Namibia have developed SADC-aligned guidelines and completed a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Cubango–Okavango Basin, en-hancing coordinated water management,
Mining and Oil Exploration: UNESCO has raised serious concerns about exploration activi-ties in buffer zones, citing risks to water quality and hydrological systems,
Infrastructure and Veterinary Fencing: Environmental audits have been conducted for pro-jects like the Mohembo Bridge, and efforts are underway to adjust fencing to support wildlife migration, supported by new Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs),
Wildlife and Anti-Poaching Measures: While aerial surveys show rising wildlife numbers, rhino poaching remains a critical issue, with 92 rhinos lost between 2020 and 2021. This has prompted stronger anti-poaching initiatives and plans for updated wildlife surveys,
Water Quality and Sanitation: Monitoring indicates generally good water quality. Sanitation upgrades in Maun and wildlife zones are being evaluated through EIAs to understand downstream effects,
Community Engagement and Livelihoods: Botswana continues to support the COMPACT initiative, funding community-driven projects such as fish farming, wetland restoration, herbari-um development, and cultural heritage preservation. The SoC report aims to achieve several goals: ensuring compliance and accountability, mitigating risks, fostering cross-border coopera-tion, and promoting sustainable resource use.
Finally, the State of Conservation report reflects Botswana’s commitment to responsible envi-ronmental stewardship. It acknowledges progress while candidly addressing vulnerabilities—particularly those related to upstream development, poaching, and invasive species. By prioritiz-ing community involvement, environmental oversight, and regional collaboration, Botswana aligns with UNESCO’s vision of protecting not just a site, but an entire interconnected ecosys-tem. As pressures mount from oil exploration and climate change, the future of the Okavango Delta depends on coordinated, well-funded action. The SoC report serves as a strategic guide to ensure the Delta remains Botswana’s “Jewel of the Kalahari,” rich in biodiversity, cultural herit-age, and global importance
