Okavango Delta – proposal to name as a World Heritage site

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Namibia joined a workshop in early March to discuss the local and regional implications of listed the famed Okavango Delta ecosystem, tourist attraction and economic resource as a World Heritage Site. 

Attendees included government officials from Namibia, Botswana and Angola. Input was delivered by scientists, ecologists, academics and community members. Discussions centred largely on the environmental and economical ramifications of placing the Delta under increased environmebtal and cultural management, as well as the potential administrative complexities of working with three countries to list the delta as a World Heritage Site. 

Okavango Delta by John Mendelsohn.

Okavango Delta by John Mendelsohn.

Myriad conservation and research efforts have pointed to the Okavango Delta’s extreme environmental fragility, resulting in numerous legal measures to place the ecosystem under improved environmental management. While the “World Heritage” label would afford the Delta an additional line of protection, representatives from the Namibian, Botswana and Angolan governments have voiced that a larger conversation is required before taking official action.
 
The World Heritage Site conference complements numerous USAID efforts to work with local governments, communities, and organizations to protect fragile resources in Southern Africa.
 
Under the Southern Africa Regional Environmental Program (SAREP), USAID has provided technical assistance to improve the management of more than 5 million hectares of biologically important land in Cubango-Okavango River Basin.
 
SAREP has also provided direct assistance to more than 30 communities in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to improve livelihoods through environmentally-sustainable methods of managing land and water.

Based on the initial proposal by the government of Botswana, a nomination dossier was prepared and submitted to the UNESCO (World Heritage Centre) for consideration. 

The African World Heritage Fund and heritage experts from the region were also present at the workshop. 

Compiled from press releases issued by http://www.awhf.net/?p=1212 and http://www.chemonics.com

Elzanne McCulloch
Elzanne McCulloch

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