10 Dec 2014

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has unveiled a plaque symbolising listing of Okavango Delta as a world heritage site.

President Khama was also presented with a certificate of inscription that the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama, received from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The Okavango Delta was listed as a world heritage site in Doha, Qatar in June 2014. Speaking at the cocktail event organised to celebrate the listing of the delta, Minister Khama said the inscription of the site on the UNESCO World Heritage List was a momentous occasion for Africa in Doha given that Okavango was the only site from Africa to be inscribed in 2014. 

Three other sites from Africa, he said, were not successful. The 1 000 listed site on the World Heritage list, Mr Khama said, was evidence enough that the international community recognised and acknowledged the natural outstanding universal value of the Okavango Delta.

Explaining the inscription process, he said “at the inscription, various countries come forward with their nominations, so you are either inscribed, deferred or referred. Now you can understand that deferred is where the work really starts”.

Minister Khama said “but what was so unique about the Okavango Delta listing was, it was the only listing which did not have an amendment to it - the only one. And what that means is that the submission was so perfect that no member of the committee found any reason to change request or bring to light any areas that might have been left out in the submission”.

The government of Botswana, the minister said, was committed to the protection of all its natural and cultural heritage, regardless of whether it was a World Heritage site or not. He noted that the nomination was a product of the hard work, commitment and dedication of Batswana professionals.

Mr Khama assured the international community and heritage fraternity that government would continue to work with relevant stakeholders, most importantly the communities living in and around the Delta, and the riparian states of Angola and Namibia to maintain the integrity of the Okavango Delta.

In his remarks, National Museum director, Mr Gaogakwe Phorano, explained the listing process, acknowledged and appreciated those who assisted government in listing Okavango Delta as a world heritage site.

Having listed the delta as a world heritage site, Mr Phorano said, there were now certain things that the World Heritage Committee expected the government of Botswana to do on an annual basis.

“We are supposed to do a state of conservation report to the committee on how we are looking after the site.  The first report is due on February 1, 2016. And then from there, we are supposed to do periodic reports to the Committee every four years,” he said.

As part of the celebration of the listing of Okavango Delta, Minister Khama took a decision to move the celebrations to Maun and Shakawe in not so distant a future.

“We are also going to be collaborating with the BotswanaPost to launch stamps in commemoration of the listing of Okavango Delta February 24, 2015,” he added.  ENDS