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Although
the
Okavango Swamp is thriving today, there is the potential that future
generations will only know of this swamp from encyclopedias.
There are going to be many challenges ahead for Botswana, Namibia
and Angola, the swamp's three main stakeholders. Their complex
relationship surrounding the "river that
never reaches the sea" depends exclusively on its originating life
source from the Angolan Highlands. To secure the sustainability
of the swamp, these countries
need to cooperate and agree that it is better to save the swamp
than
sacrifice it for their own selfish needs. Today, the swamp
is home
to hundreds of species of birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals
who thrive in this oasis surrounded by one of the harshest
environments
in the world. But this may not always be the case. The
Okavango Swamp is at the mercy of the climate and the humans who are
only interested in exploiting the natural resources rather than
conserving and protecting one of the world's greatest places. The
future is fast coming and unless the governments of Botswana, Namibia
and Angola value this unique and diverse wetland, they might find
themselves living in one of the world's driest places, similar to
the Danakil depression. Salt mining is the only economic activity in Danakalia and the living there is harsh.
The hope is for the main stakeholders to see the
multi-dimensional benefits of a wet delta over a dry and unproductive
salt flat. |