Protecting the Okavango Basin: A Win for Nature, Climate, and People

An empowering conversation about how the National Geographic Society’s Okavango Wilderness Project is working with local communities and governments to secure permanent, sustainable protection for the Okavango Basin, which spans Botswana, Angola, and Namibia ( an area larger than California). While the Delta in Botswana is protected, 95% of the water that feeds it comes from Angola – which is not protected and faces the threats of climate change, habitat destruction, and water diversion. Panelists will share why protecting the entire Okavango Basin across these three countries represents one of the biggest conservation opportunities in Africa this decade. Protecting the Okavango Basin means protecting the water security and livelihoods of one million people; Africa’s second largest peatland system; half the world’s remaining elephants; and countless other species.