18 Aug 2026

The Chobe-Kavango Region recorded a total of 221 earthquakes between 2014 and 2025. 

Answering a question in Parliament on Thursday on behalf of the Minister of Minerals and Energy, the Minister of Communication and Innovation Mr David Tshere said the earthquakes occurred within the area between latitudes 17.5°S and 21°S and longitudes 20.5°E and 26°E. 

Mr Tshere said the recorded seismic events comprised 19 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 4.0 degrees to 4.6 degrees, 40 earthquakes between 3.0 degrees and 3.9 degrees, 155 earthquakes between 2.0 degrees and 2.9 degrees and seven earthquakes ranging from 1.7 degrees to 1.9 degrees. 

The minister said studies by the Department of Geological Surveys had shown that seismic activity in the Chobe/Kavango Region was associated with the Kunyere and Thamalakane faults, whose geological trends influenced tectonic plate movement and the impoundment of Okavango

Delta inflows from the Angolan highlands. He added that research by the Okavango Research Institute (ORI) indicated that seismic activity could affect hydrological cycles, drainage patterns, habitat distribution and species resilience over the long term, with implications for biodiversity and ecosystem stability. 

Mr Tshere said other studies have linked the region’s active faulting to the southwestern extension of the East African Rift System, which altered the historical course of the Okavango River into the former Lake Makgadikgadi. 

He said ORI, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand, continued to conduct multidisciplinary studies to better understand the relationship between long-term seismic activity, seasonal water inflows, sediment loading, topography, tectonics and evaporation dynamics in the Okavango Delta. The minister noted that earthquakes recorded in the Chobe-Kavango Region were generally of low to moderate magnitude and do not pose an immediate threat to residential developments. However, he stressed that continuous monitoring remained essential for detecting changes in seismic patterns and informing the design of critical infrastructure.

Mr Tshere said the Botswana Geoscience Institute currently monitored earthquakes through its network of 21 autonomous seismic stations, known as the Botswana Seismological Network, to support earthquake-resilient infrastructure. 

He said these efforts were aimed at reducing vulnerability, strengthening resilience and protecting both communities and biodiversity from the impacts of seismic events. The minister was responding to a question from Chobe MP, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga, who had sought clarification on the number of earthquakes and earth tremors recorded in the region during the period. 

Mr Mapulanga also sought information on the impact of the seismic activity on biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as measures in place to mitigate its effects on human lives and wildlife. ENDS