Threatened: Why the Okavango Delta needs our protection

Our expedition, Echoes of the Okavango, was born out of a deep admiration for one of the planet’s most remarkable ecosystems. The Okavango Delta isn’t just our expedition route. It’s the reason we’re doing this at all.

Over the course of our journey, we hope to witness and document the magic of the delta: its wildlife, its rhythms, its people — and, importantly, its fragility. Because while the Okavango is breathtakingly beautiful, it is also under real and growing threat.

A Living Landscape

Spanning roughly 22,000 square kilometres in northern Botswana, the Okavango Delta is one of the largest inland deltas in the world. What makes it unique is that it floods not from local rain, but from water that travels more than 1,000 km from the Angolan highlands, through Namibia, and into Botswana. This annual flood transforms an otherwise dry region into a mosaic of lagoons, rivers, islands, and floodplains — a seasonal miracle that breathes life into the land.

Credit: Mark de Jong

The Okavango supports over 1,000 plant species, 130 mammal species, 560 bird species, and nearly 90 types of fish.

Among its inhabitants are some of Africa’s most iconic animals: elephants, lions, leopards, hippos, and the endangered African wild dog. For birdwatchers, it's a paradise, offering rare sightings of species like the wattled crane and Pel’s fishing owl.

People of the Delta

But the Okavango isn’t just a haven for wildlife. It’s also home to people whose lives are intricately tied to the land and water. Across the broader Okavango River Basin — covering parts of Botswana, Namibia, and Angola — a million people depend on the delta for drinking water, fishing, farming, and eco-tourism.

Tourism alone is a major economic driver for Botswana, accounting for around 13% of the country’s GDP. Thousands of jobs — many of them in rural communities — are linked to sustainable tourism activities like safaris, guiding, and conservation.

The Growing Impact of Climate Change

Despite all its richness, the Okavango Delta is vulnerable.

Climate change is already reshaping its future. Rising temperatures, longer dry spells, and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns are threatening the delta’s ability to flood consistently. A 2020 study reported that areas which once flooded annually are now remaining dry for consecutive years, disrupting wildlife migrations and water access for communities.

Wildfires, driven by drier conditions, have also become more frequent and severe. Satellite data from 1997 showed that 24.1% of the southern delta was affected by fire. Today, that number is climbing. These fires destroy habitats and release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, further accelerating the climate crisis.

In 2020, the delta made global headlines when over 350 elephants died under mysterious circumstances. Investigations later linked the deaths to toxic cyanobacteria, which thrive in warmer, stagnant water — another grim sign of ecological stress in the face of climate change.

So what happens next?

If climate change continues unchecked, the floodwaters will decline, leading to the loss of biodiversity, disruption of livelihoods, and collapse of the local tourism economy. A once-thriving ecosystem could degrade into dry savanna, unable to support the species and communities that rely on it.

But there is another path.

With strong protection and sustainable management, the delta can continue to thrive. That means investing in community-led conservation, improving water governance, and fighting back against large-scale developments that would alter its flow or pollute its waters.

What Can You Do?

We’re undertaking this expedition to raise awareness, celebrate the delta’s beauty, and highlight what’s at stake. But you don’t need to paddle through it to make a difference.

• Support conservation charities and NGOs working in Botswana and the wider Okavango Basin. (National Geographic, Wildlife Bird Trust, Conservation International)

• Choose eco-friendly travel options when exploring wild places.

• Reduce your carbon footprint — at home, on the move, and in the choices you make.

• Share stories. Spread awareness. Speak up when the planet needs you.

The Okavango is one of the last untouched wildernesses on Earth. But even wilderness needs defenders.

We’re paddling to tell its story. To echo its calls for help. To inspire action.

The future of the Okavango Delta is still unwritten, but together, we can help protect it.