22 May 2019

The drying up of the Okavango Delta has become a topical issue amongst some Ngamiland communities. 

The level of water has declined drastically, and some people have a strong feeling that the situation will worsen while some are optimistic that it will recover around July with the inflow from Mohembo River where the river enters Botswana from Angola.

They said the floods at Mohembo generally which normally occur between mid-March and mid- May, just after the local summer rains in the region of the delta, have come to an end and the delta is at its fullest in July/August.

Some revealed that the rainy season in the catchment area and around the Okavango usually begins in November, with the majority of rain falling in January and February, but this year’s situation is a concern.

The delta is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the country, while some rural communities depend on it for survival. 

Some people said the current situation threatens the beauty of the resource and the water-based livelihood activities face diverse and distinct risks resulting from ecological conditions, which are largely driven by climate variability and change. 

One of the elders, Mr John Benn confirmed in an interview that indeed the level of the water has declined due to the less rainfall experienced in Angola and rainfall in the delta.

He indicated that local rainfall  contributes less water and the majority of water comes down from the Angolan highlands.

The main waters reach Botswana in April and start to spread throughout the alluvial fan slowly filling up the channels, backflows and floodplains. 

“Normally when there is a lot a of rainfall in Angola, the delta experiences floods around April/May but if there is less rain, the floods come in winter around June/July,” he added.

He said this was not the first experience as there was a time when there were no floods in the Thamalakane River for 14 years, as the inflows stopped at Boro channel.

Mr Benn associated the low amount of rainfall to climate change and stated that the situation would negatively affect the inhabitants of the delta as there would be competition between the community residing in the delta and wildlife.

He said wildlife would roam the delta in search of water as many channels dried up.

A research scholar from Okavango Research Institute, Mr Oliver Moses admitted that this year, the water level in the delta had declined as compared to the previous years.

He associated the decline to climate variability, noting that in the three previous years, the delta experienced decrease in water levels, while in the year 2014/15 there was an increase.

“This is a trend for the past years and the decline is due to climate variability not climate change as it is perceived,” he added.

Mr Moses explained that climate change involves a long term trend, adding that it is a period of at least 30 years or more while climate variability involves a short term trend. 

He said it could be season to season or year to year, adding that the long term projection has indicated that rainfall in the delta catchment area has generally declined due to climate change as opposed to temperatures which are increasing.

In addition, he noted that this year, they were not expecting more water as there was less rainfall.

The floodwaters which flow from the highlands of Angola arrive across the delta at the start of the dry season, in May, June and July and Mr Moses said the inflows at Mohembo River had started but the Thamalakane River would receive less water.

Mr Moses also concurred that the decline of water levels in the delta would have a negative impact on different sectors of the economy being agriculture, tourism and water supply.

The delta, he said was a source of livelihood for many communities as some practiced molapo farming along the river while some make a living out of mokoro excursions.

Once the floodplains have dried, it becomes difficult to offer mokoro excursions due to safety concerns in deeper waters of permanent channels and rivers. ENDS