The Okavango Delta in Botswana in Africa has been declared a World Heritage Site

One of the interesting features of the Okavango Delta is that it does not end in the ocean but in temporary lakes in the middle of the Botswana desert, and is home to many animals

UNESCO declared the Okavango Delta and several other sites - World Heritage Site. The honor and the celebration are double as the delta is placed in the honorable place - The thousand site.
It is not for nothing that the Delta was chosen in the prestigious location, as everyone who has visited it will agree with the choice. "In a previous competition" the delta was not included among the "Wonders of the Natural World", but this does not detract from its honorable place. Some have described the Okavango Delta as "heaven on earth" and anyone who has visited even a tiny part of the delta will agree with the definition and even admire it.

Among the reasons for the announcement, UNESCO states that the Okavango drainage basin is not disturbed by dams or large water plants, and the three countries have agreed to manage the drainage areas in a prudent and sustainable manner.

• It contains a variety of habitats: islands, lagoons, swamps, grasslands, palm groves and Mopane trees. All of these are affected by cycles of dryness versus richness in water.
• Many of the large mammals such as elephants, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes and antelopes arrive there after a migration of several weeks from northern Botswana, and with them predators some of which accompany the herds and some of which await them on the islands and in the grasslands, lions and cheetahs, hyenas and wolves, which with the birds of prey complete the Food chain.
• In the Okavango Delta there are species that are considered to be in danger of extinction, such as wide-lipped and narrow-lipped rhinoceros ("black and white") and spotted wolves.
• More than 1000 species of plants belonging to about 130 families and 530 genera, 69 species of fish, 64 species of reptiles, 482 species of birds and 130 species of mammals were counted in the delta.
• The Okavango Delta is an important area with 24 species of birds that on a global scale are considered endangered including: blue crane, six species of eagles, the Okavango heron and about 30 other species of waterfowl that are a significant percentage of the world's population.
• Botswana has the largest population (about 130,000) of elephants and the Okavango Delta is "the heart of the area that allows their survival".
• These days, the delta is also celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Authority for the Management of the Okavango - Kovango Drainage Basin, which includes areas of approximately 700,000 square kilometers in Angola, Namibia and Botswana, an authority shared by the three countries through which these rivers flow. (Permanent Cubango-Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM).
• In 1996, the delta was declared a "Ramser" site, (Named after the city in Iran where the treaty was signed). As part of the International Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Freshwater Bodies and Wetlands.

The combination of a Ramsar site and a world heritage site strengthens the position of the delta as an important habitat and a natural environment (biosphere) of global importance, and is an area that must be managed and protected from harm.

The "story" of the delta begins in the high mountains of Angola. Two rivers - Cuito and Cubango (Cuito & Cubango) drain springs, snowmelt and rainwater and meet near the Angola - Namibia border. From there they continue as a mighty river - Okavango (Kobengo) which is about 1,500 km long and it reaches the desert and flat areas on the border of Namibia - Botswana and spreads into the Kalahari desert. (To the north "overcomes" the delta is a section of the Chuba River). The river spreads and sends arms and sections into the desert creating the largest (internal) alluvial fan in Africa and one of the largest in the world.
Unlike many other alluvial fans that flow into a lake or sea, the Okavango Delta ends its life in the desert, after creating lakes, swamps, streams and canals that connect the many sections that irrigate the Kalahari Desert, water that began its journey in the mountains of Angola reaches the end of its journey in the Kalahari Desert.

The end of the rainy season in Angola is the dry season in Botswana and the Kalahari desert, and thus at the height of the drought the water forms the delta that grows to more than 20,000 square kilometers, a size that is maintained for about six months.

Islands that form between the arms of the delta allow a rich variety of vegetation to grow and create a huge wealth of water and land animals, in different and varied habitats. Nutrient-rich water irrigates the dry sand plains of the Kalahari desert and turns them into (seasonal) grass plains used as pasture for wild animals, a green oasis in the heart of the desert is a particularly beautiful landscape.

At the end of the dry season (in Angola) most of the flooded areas dry up. The delta shrinks to less than a quarter of its maximum size (about 5000 square kilometers). Such a large body of water in a huge desert is an oasis that houses a rich variety of vegetation. Water and plants are a source of life for a huge variety of animal species that adjust their life cycles according to the seasons when the delta is flooded for most of its size and according to the seasons when the spaces of water and vegetation are more limited. The Okavango Delta is a beautiful example of the combination of hydrological, climatic and biological cycles. Cycles and diversity that give the delta its importance and beauty, importance and beauty that gave it the nickname "the pearl of Africa".
Unlike wetlands, lakes and swamps in other regions, the Okavango Delta has remained unscathed and almost without (new) human influence except for ecotourism. This is mainly because of the difficulty in accessing the vast areas, the countries of the region and especially Botswana realized many years ago the importance of conservation, most of the lodges within the delta are only accessible by light aircraft, most of them are small and simple, built and operated so that there is no harm to the environment, also the lodges are expensive Very much, which means that tourism is almost not harmful either.

The area that has been declared a world heritage site encompasses approximately 25,000 square kilometers and is surrounded by a biosphere buffer zone of approximately the same size in which development and settlement activity is permitted provided it does not harm the water flow, activity that will not harm the reserve on the one hand, and on the other hand will allow the continued existence of the natives whose existence relies on the environmental "services" provided by The delta and its surroundings such as fishing, grazing, a little agriculture, construction materials (mainly reeds and rubber used for covering) and traditional medicinal plants. Environmental (ecological) tourism is the most common activity in the Delta and of course the participation of the natives in conservation and tourism ventures is part of the activity.

About 60% of the natives are active in tourism as guides, boatmen, guards and more. In 2012, almost 50,000 natives worked in the Delta and provided about 200 million dollars to the Botswana economy.

Although the sources of water in Angola also pass through Namibia, most of the delta extends in Botswana, hence the preferential treatment that the government of Botswana gives to the sustainable development and preservation of the delta.

In order to maintain the seasonal cycle of water, the cooperation of Angola and Namibia is necessary, a cooperation that means careful and correct use of water upstream, therefore any use of water is discussed in the joint committee (OKACOM) of the three countries. These discussions are of great importance because of the intentions to build dams on the rivers or projects to transport large amounts of water to irrigate large areas in Angola.

A constant and continuous danger is the cutting of the trees in the drainage basin which, combined with overgrazing, harms the quality of the water. By 2025, the indigenous population in the region will increase to more than one million inhabitants. Added to this is the effect of global warming, which changes the times of the rains, which is why there is a need for continued regional cooperation, which is expressed in an action plan drawn up in 2010 for the ten years (until 2020) that examines how to neutralize the threats to the delta, addresses all development intentions and coordinates the activity upstream as well.
In such a large and diverse area there is also a chance of problems. For example, the more accessible the area becomes and the more visitors stay there (people and tourists) - foreign species may become invaders and harm the local species.

It is possible that a significant increase in the elephant population causes a decrease in the number of other animals, this is according to surveys and studies in the field, but it is possible that there are other factors such as the changes of the seasons, wild hunting (eg hunting giraffes for meat).

Significant damage was caused by the "veterinary fence" that was established to prevent the spread of diseases from wild animals to cattle - mainly mouth and tail. The fence affects the migration of many animals (I wrote about this elsewhere - https://www.hayadan.org.il/botswana-roaming-2408138). Of course, the most serious hazards are created by man, as in mining activities without permission that occur mainly in the buffer zone and damage the water quality.

Until today, only about 40% of the Okavango Delta areas were protected and protected. The entire area is divided into sub-areas, some of which are given hunting permits. The hunters are tourists who pay a lot of money to concession holders and these are committed to conservation activities and help to the residents, according to a 1992 treaty between the government of Botswana and the heads of the local tribes - mainly the "Hatswana" and the San (Bushmen). However, there is a recommendation to stop legal hunting in order to strengthen the populations, and in the near future to reduce the "veterinary fence" in the north of the reserve so that it only surrounds grazing areas, and in the south of the area the fence will form a buffer between the reserve and cattle grazing areas.
Today the fence continues as a straight line for hundreds of kilometers and the fence can be "waived" in areas where there is an expanded ("holistic") approach to disease prevention even among wild animals.

Despite the difficulties of accessibility (perhaps because) the Okavango Delta is home to a small number of natives who lived and live today as nomads-gatherers in equilibrium with the natural environment. As part of the (UNESCO) declaration, there is a directive to preserve the identity and way of life of the natives and to allow them to continue their day-to-day activities, mainly fishing and hunting, while at the same time allowing them to benefit from the income from tourism in the delta, as well as to take into account their voice and opinion in any conservation or development activity.

The countries of Angola, Namibia and especially Botswana are called to step up conservation activities and develop the area mainly for tourism purposes and taking into account all the factors on the ground and from a starting point of sustainable development.

In light of the success of the Joint Commission (OKACOM) in the last twenty years, it can be assumed that the delta is protected, preserved and will continue to be the "Pearl of Africa".
Pictures for those interested 

If after reading the list above and viewing the photos the desire to visit the "Pearl of Africa" ​​arises, you must arrive by flight (Johannesburg -> Gaborone) -> Maun. In Maon, you can find a package for one of the lodges in Delta that includes a flight (on a light plane) to the lodge, while in the lodge "everything is included" - food and drinks (including alcohol), a cruise on a local boat - Makoro (Macoro), hiking in the nearby islands. All activities are done individually or in pairs accompanied by a local person who knows the flora and fauna and even speaks a little English. The accepted method is that everyone can set the agenda as they wish when the local lender is at their disposal at any time.

Despite the high prices, most of the lodges are simple, built from local materials so that the damage to the environment is minimal, on the edge of the delta there are less expensive lodges that can be reached by car (multi-wheel drive) and from which you can travel by car and motorboats. Everything is expensive - very expensive but definitely worth it, and again, for nature lovers, especially African nature, this is the highlight.