09 Sep 2013

Botswana has nominated Okavango Delta for World Heritage Site (WHS) listing.

According to National Museum, Monuments and Arts Gallary principale curator, Mrs Gertrude Matswiri, a nomination dossier has been prepared and submitted to the UNESCO (World Heritage Centre) for consideration.

Mrs Matswiri said this during a media seminar to discuss mainly the expectations and implications of nominating the Okavango Delta. She said the listing of the Okavango Delta was initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism in fulfillment of Botswana’s obligation to the UNESCO 1972 Convention.

UNESCO 1972 Convention is concerned with the protection of World Cultural and Natural heritage. She said the process started in 2008 and government submitted the document in 2012 to be assessed and it was realised that the maps were not up to standard and they had to re-work on it.

She said they believed that the Okavango delta has to be listed as it meet the requirements needed adding their justification for inscription was that it is the only inland delta that floods in the dry season, a unique hydrological event that defines the unusual system.

Ms Matswiri noted that the delta has been there for so long with outstanding natural values hence it made it one of the very few natural scenario spectacular in the World that needed to be recognised.

She said they believed that what is in the delta needed to be protected adding they have done all the necessary logistics to ensure the site wa being listed.

“We have submitted all the necessary requirements and documents to support and justify our request and it would depend on how the evaluation committee sees it”, she added.

Ms Matswiri mentioned that consultation was done with relevant stakeholders including the community in villages around the delta as well as holding a stakeholder conference in Maun in 2012 hence they were confident that the recommendations for Okavango Delta listing would be successful.

She said the site contained areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.

The World Heritage status would bring growth in tourism at the delta and strengthen good conservation practices through international support.

She said the outcome would increase more interests in terms of investing in tourism.

Botswana believed that since the WHS should be exceptional, Okavango Delta, the largest island delta in the world in a dessert environment and that the scope of the convention was global with respect to the significance of the properties to be protected.

She also briefed the media about the management of the proposed Okavango Delta World Heritage Site which she said was based on the Okavango Delta Management Plan of 2008 developed for the Okavango Delta Ramsar Site (ODRS)

The proposed Okavango Delta World Heritage Site Core Area is within the Ramsar Site, and its buffer area follows the Ramsar boundary. Okavango Delta is part of the Okavango River Basin and is managed through a tripartite agreement between Angola, Botswana and Namibia known as the OKACOM Agreement of 1994, such as Permanent Okavango River Basin Commission.

An official from Southern African Regional Environment Program (SAREP) Mr Chris Brooks said they fully support the WHS process. SAREP’s regional objectives are to build capacity for water governance, support basin-level plans and priorities and integrate trans-boundary infrastructure and land use planning.

He said they apply land use conflict tool to the proposed World heritage boundaries.

He also indicated that they also conduct workshops with World heritage teams, different stakeholders and mining sectors to appreciate the nomination and also discuss issues such as key threats to the process.

He said SAREP supported the listing of the delta for the benefit of the country.
Mr Brooks said Okavango Delta is one of the World’s most pristine riparian systems and its significance extended beyond just Botswana.

He the listing would be a chance for the country to show the World how important conserving river system is, and to bring international recognition to the natural resources. Ends