Max Muyemburuko, the chairperson for Kavango East and West Regional Conservancy and Community Forestry Association, told Al Jazeera that ReconAfrica met with only one of three traditional authorities in the area, and his community was only informed about the project after work on it had started. The Okavango River, in the Kalahari Desert, is part of an endorheic basin region, the Okavango Basin, that also includes the Okavango Delta, Lake Ngami, the Nata River, and a number of salt pans such as Makgadikgadi Pan. “As we depend on farming, if we don’t have water, our livelihoods will be endangered. “Indigenous people usually sell arts and crafts to tourists or are invited by farms to come and dance and tell stories for the tourists,” Beckett said. The Kavango is a new sedimentary basin and like all other hydrocarbon basins, conventional production is all that exists for roughly the first 20 years,” Preece explained. Instead, it discharges into the Okavango D… Al Jazeera compares COVID lockdowns and responses from around the world amid a new wave of global protests. But those assurances haven’t quelled environmentalists’ and Indigenous groups’ fears. 685 Figure 1 Okavango River showing the modeled sub-basins. The exploration licence area falls within the newly-proclaimed Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier area, while the biodiversity-rich Okavango river basin is … Coronavirus vaccine: How will poorer countries get a fair shot? The Okavango Delta means income and development. They have teamed up to raise awareness about the matter. The region is home to one of the largest herds of African elephants in the world, as well as lions, leopards, giraffes and other rare animals that live within six wildlife reserves. The world's fastest, most sensitive drone-based gas... ‘Clean Burning Marine Fuels Making A Difference To Air Quality. Would-be mayors don’t know, The first private astronaut mission is headed for ISS next year, First large-scale US offshore wind farm receives federal approval, Now hiring: US job openings soar to record high of 8.1 million, Gaza tower block collapses after Israeli strike, Melinda Gates met divorce lawyers when Epstein ties revealed: WSJ, Palestinians say 21 killed as Israeli air raids on Gaza continue, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. St Albans Our entire livelihood could be affected.”. While giants like the Permian Basin and Ghawar Field have dominated the oil landscape for years, in 2021 experts are predicting a new player could challenge their reign. Instead, you should be looking for locations where independents are out in force looking for the next big thing,” says internationally renowned geochemist Dan Jarvie. Instead of oil … E info@labmate-online.com. Table 41: Okavango basin: areas and rainfall by country This is just another case of environmental racism,” Ina-Maria Shikongo, the founder of Fridays for Future Windhoek, told Al Jazeera. But for supporters of the #SavetheOkavangoDelta campaign, that is not enough. The values in the cells of the grid indicate the direction of flow from that cell. The Okavango Delta is one of just a handful of inland delta systems that do not flow into a sea or ocean. Find out more about the latest advances being made within the maritime industry in. The company holds licences comprising approximately 3.4 contiguous hectares (8.5 million acres). The Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) is located in southern Africa and covers around 690 000 sq km of which 151 406 sq km is located in Angola, 168 274 sq km in Namibia, 345 704 sq km in Botswana and 25 670 sq km in Zimbabwe ( FAO 2014 ). We live off this land.”. In order to eliminate error, a “Fill Sinks†function was conducted on the SRTM DTM of the basin prior to the creation of this layer. Given that water from the region flows into the Okavango delta, “any pollution would be harmful” to the Okavango Basin ecosystem as well as Kavango communities, says Brown. The Tsodilo Hills UNESCO World Heritage site in Botswana also lied within the Kavango Basin. Owing to the basin’s remoteness and history of conflict, the Okavango was spared many of the destructive developments that other rivers in the region have suffered. The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world’s most threatened species, including endangered African wild dogs and cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, and lions. Copyright © 2021 Labmate Online. - Scientists discover new hydrocarbon cycle in the ocean Wildlife revival: Conservation wins for tigers and gorillas, US conservationists, mining firms vie for Minnesota wilderness. The three basin states, sharing a concern for the basin environment, decided to strive to manage developments in the basin in a sustainable manner. While most supermajors have gravitated offshore, analysts say there’s still plenty of opportunity for independent and junior companies that are willing to look. It is fed by the Okavango River, along Namibia's northern border Namibia: Indigenous leaders want big oil out of Kavango Basin. They want to see Namibia turn to renewable sources of energy instead of fossil fuels — and have continued to organise peaceful protests to try to make it happen. Young demonstrators took to the streets of Windhoek, Namibia for a Save the Okavango Delta protest in February [Lisa Ossenbrink/Al Jazeera]“Who gave the government the right to determine the destiny of Indigenous communities? Oak Court Business Centre But Preece said that any estimation that the company’s project in the Kavango Basin was related to unconventional methods such as fracking “would be completely false”. Among the vulnerable species that call the Okavango Delta home is the white rhinoceros [File: Baz Ratner/Reuters]In January, Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) started drilling on the first of three wells, stating on its website that the firm “believes the Kavango Basin is another world class Permian basin, analogous to the Permian basin in Texas”, capable of generating billions of barrels of oil. We’re worried about water and air pollution, too. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a … “The Kalahari means to the San people what Mecca means to Muslims,” Q7 Beckett, an Indigenous youth leader, told Al Jazeera. While the Kavango Basin could unlock huge profits for Recon Africa, exploration in the area has garnered fierce criticism from environmentalists who say drilling with threaten the pristine, As climate change and habitat destruction continues to garner attention, the energy industry is under increasing pressure to adopt greener practices. Okavango River showing the modeled sub-basins. AL3 6PH “They didn’t go through with the normal process of doing business in our communities, where you have to meet with headmen and chiefs of all the communities that will be affected first,” Muyemburuko said. The Cubango-Okavango River Basin covers 125,000 square miles in Angola, Namibia and Botswana and provides water for 1 million people. Test drilling for oil and gas begins in Namibia’s Okavango region. “It was a one-man show,” he said. The Okavango basin. “It’s more than our home and more than a pilgrimage – it’s our identity. ReconAfrica is a junior oil and gas company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and gas in Northeast Namibia and Northwest Botswana—the “Kavango Basin.”. The Okavango basin comprises the Cuito and Cubango active catchment areas in Angola, in addition to the Kavango-Okavango non-active catchment in northern Namibia and Botswana. area and tourism destination in the Okavango and Zambezi river basin regions within the context of sustainable development MISSION: To Sustainably manage the Kavango Zambezi ecosystem, its heritage and cultural resources based on best conservation & tourism models for the socio-economic well-being of … It is expensive, low-return and we would never take it forward to any investors as it is wildly un-economic.”. The Kavango Basin, as the area is known to … It is an endorheic basin, shared between Angola, Namibia and Botswana (Map 9 and Table 41). Muyemburuko is particularly worried about the impact of the industry on the area’s water supply. “Forget about supermajors like Exxon, Chevron when it comes to onshore exploration outside of the United States … they aren’t the ones who make these onshore discoveries work. The delta – a World Heritage site recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – … “Potential conventional and unconventional opportunities” were mentioned in a July 2020 research report from ReconAfrica that was the subject of press reports but has since been removed from the company’s website. In This Edition Hertfordshire As well as endangering wildlife, campaigners say exploration could contaminate the water resourced of local communities. A copy of the report was shared with Al Jazeera by Arkert, who remains sceptical about the company’s plans. The Okavango River is the chief stream in the basin. Each year, about 11 cubic kilometres (2.6 cu mi) of water spread over the 6,000–15,000 km (2,300–5,800 sq mi) area. But ReconAfrica said on its website that there will be no damage to the ecosystem and that its sites are not located in the area of national parks, conservancies or World Heritage sites. Footnote 94 In post-war Angola, population growth and infrastructural development are inevitably putting pressure on the existing water sources forcing the Okavango River Basin to be viewed as an … The Okavango Basin, and specifically the delta, is an important place for us to work because it’s one of the most biodiverse habitats in Africa, and it provides water for more than 1 million people. If early exploration is successful, Recon Africa plans to drill “hundreds of wells” across the Kavango Basin. 1. This layer was created from the SRTM DTM (digital terrain model). region, the Okavango provides opportunities for water abstractions for numerous uses. The drilling of the boreholes for oil exploration can threaten the ecosystem through potential oil spillage, noise pollution and water contamination, said Jan Arkert, a South African-based engineering geologist with the firm Africa Exposed Consulting Engineering Geologists. “Unconventional production is the last gasp of older basins. Located in the Okavango wilderness region of Namibia and Botswana, the massive Kavango Basin is thought to hold more than 30 billion barrels of crude oil. This was completed in March 2020 and since then we have attempted to keep an active and collaborative relationship in place with all interested parties.”. “If the animals leave this area, tourism will take a hit. But, he said, the meeting was not translated into the local language. F +44 (0)1727 840 310 ReconAfrica and the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy have both said hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, is not part of the plan. Farther south, it forms part of the border between Angola and Namibia, and then flows into Botswana. The home page of the company’s website says its intention is to open “a new, deep sedimentary basin”—in other words, a new oil and gas field. ReconAfrica believes the Kavango Basin in Namibia and Botswana could generate billions of barrels of oil, but environmentalists and Indigenous leaders want the area to remain untouched. National Geographic: Oil Drilling, Possible Fracking Planned for Okavango Region—Elephants’ Last Stronghold ... a new oil and gas field. National Development Plan (2018-2022) ... of Angolan component of the Okavango region But environmentalists and community leaders fear the oil industry could permanently change the Kavango Basin. The region holds sacred meaning for the San, an Indigenous group that is considered one of the original inhabitants of the Southern African region. The Okavango River (formerly spelled Okovango or Okovanggo) is a river in southwest Africa. The field is larger than Belgium, with energy news site Oilprice.com predicting it could be the “largest oil play of the decade” if exploration goes ahead in 2021. While the Kavango Basin could unlock huge profits for Recon Africa, exploration in the area has garnered fierce criticism from environmentalists who say drilling with threaten the pristine Okavango wilderness region. The region is home to the largest remaining population of African elephants, 400 species of birds and is a sanctuary for many other animals. On April 15, ReconAfrica announced the first well had provided “clear evidence of a working conventional petroleum system in the Kavango Basin”, adding it now plans to start work at its second well. ReconAfrica engaged in public consultations throughout January after community members and environmental activists expressed concerns about the project. Sandridge Park, Porters Wood This layer represents the political regional boundaries (level of Province, Region and District) in the 4 riparian countries that share geographical overlapping with the Okavango Basin: Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Turkana Basin, in Kenya, whose basin includes the Omo River of Ethiopia. Windhoek, Namibia – The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world’s most threatened species, including endangered African wild dogs and cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, and lions. The delta – a World Heritage site recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – is also pivotal to the water supply for the Kalahari Desert, and its unique ecosystems draw large numbers of tourists eager to explore its biodiversity each year. But some local communities feel they were not sufficiently included in the decision-making process. On January 22, Muyemburuko attended one of the consultations in Rundu in Kavango East with governors, headmen, representatives of non-profit organisations and politicians. A campaign called #SavetheOkavangoDelta was started by Fridays for Future Windhoek and Frack Free Namibia and Botswana, two local environmentalist groups. United Kingdom, T +44 (0)1727 858 840 Environmentalists and community leaders want to see the area preserved. Source: Digital Chart of the World (DCW) with further editing corrections for a more accurate spatial definition. Summary The Okavango Basin is situated in south central Africa and shared among the three countries of Angola, Namibia and Botswana. “No question was properly answered.”, But a ReconAfrica spokesperson told Al Jazeera: “Detailed consultation with local communities and a range of other stakeholders, including the traditional authorities regarding land use, was carried out. Mapping coronavirus anti-lockdown protests around the world, How much is a house in Brooklyn worth? Discover a new range of high performance rheometers, Afriso opens new logistics and service centre. ReconAfrica holds a 90% interest in a petroleum exploration licence in northeast Namibia. “My worst fear is that it could turn into a new Niger Delta,” Shikongo added, referencing the ongoing fight to clean up areas polluted by oil companies there. The Namibian government has said oil and gas exploration will be conducted in an “environmentally sustainable manner”, Maggy Shino, petroleum commissioner at the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy, told Al Jazeera in a statement, adding that if oil were found, it could lead to the creation of “employment opportunities” as well as lessen the country’s “dependence on the import of oil and gas”. - The energy sector’s great opportunity to become more sustainable General characteristics of the basin. 1 Introduction The Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) is a critical ReconAfrica believes the Kavango Basin in Namibia and Botswana could generate billions of … This raster layer (90m resolution) represents the flow direction in the CORB-Contributing area. Namibia and Botswana share the Okavango river basin and share the Kalahari Desert, which has enormous renewable energy potential. “ReconAfrica will need a lot of water and as you know, Namibia is a dry country,” Muyemburuko explained. The Okavango Delta situated in north-west Botswana comprises permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains. The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Grassland) (formerly spelled "Okovango" or "Okovanggo") in Botswana is a swampy inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough at an altitude of 930–1,000 m in the central part of the endorheic basin of the Kalahari. Fig. We call on the drilling to halt for the following reasons:1. It is formed by the confluence of the Cubango and Cuito rivers, which originate on the Bié Plateau of central Angola and flow southeast. The Okavango River water and its ecosystem resources are critically important sources of livelihoods for people in … As a result, the relatively pristine Okavango ecosystem continues to provide significant benefits to the region… Given that water from the region flows into the Okavango delta, “any pollution would be harmful” to the Okavango Basin ecosystem as well as Kavango communities, says Brown. Etosha pan in Namibia's Etosha National Park. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, most other efforts have been organised online. Junior oil and gas company Recon Africa is spearheading development in the region, with the company currently licensed to explore more than 35,000 square kilometers of land in Namibia and Botswana. Petrochemicals dominate upcoming project starts acro... What is Green Fuel and Will it Replace Petrol? “Conventional oil and gas production uses vertical wells, no fracking and very little water. Most of the gauged sub-basins are labeled with arrows and the insert shows the location within Africa. The field is larger than Belgium, with energy news site Oilprice.com predicting it could be the “largest oil play of the decade” if exploration goes ahead in 2021. It begins at 1,300 m altitude in the sandy highlands of Angola, where it is known by the Portuguese name Rio Cubango. Recon Africa’s exploration areas in both Botswana and Namibia fall largely within the Okavango River Basin which flows into the richly-biodiverse Okavango Delta — … We just don’t want the environment we live in to be harmed.”. As climate change and habitat destruction continues to garner attention, the energy industry is under increasing pressure to adopt greener practices. The Namibian government has also reassured activists that locations for the drillings are far from both the Okavango Delta and the Kavango River. All the water reaching the delta is ultimately evaporated and transpiredand does not flow into any sea or ocean. Beckett worries that drilling could further marginalise the San people, in part by jeopardising the tourism industry they depend on financially. Find out more about the latest advances being made within the maritime industry in ‘Clean Burning Marine Fuels Making A Difference To Air Quality. As mountain gorillas number more than 1,000 and India’s tiger populations rebound, recovery efforts reap their rewards. Ralston Quick-test™ Compressed Gas Cylinder Valve... New compressed gas cylinder valve adapters. Like most rivers, the Okavango is faced with a number of potentially conflicting and unsustainable uses, and we have an unprecedented window of opportunity to help secure the basin. Most of the gauged 686 sub-basins are labeled with arrows and the insert shows the location 687 within Africa. The Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) Fund is a fully independent hybrid fund that aims to enhance livelihoods, improve ecosystem resilience and provide equitable benefits to the riparian states of Angola, Botswana and Namibia, in their shared river basin. A fight for the future of Minnesota’s economy is pitting mining advocates against the outdoor tourism industry. Fuel For Thought A protest was organised in Windhoek, the capital, the week before the drill rig arrived in December. Widespread poverty plagues the upper basin, and the majority of people rely on livelihoods like agriculture, fishing, forestry and tourism that draw on the region’s natural resources. The firm said it “will follow global best practices and local regulations in all drilling and reclamation activity”. The plan for an equitable distribution of the future COVID-19 vaccine is not perfect, but it may be all we have. “Even during this first phase, we don’t know how they are going to dispose of their wastewater,” Arkert told Al Jazeera. Recon Africa spokesperson Claire Preece has assured environmentalists there will be “no environmental impact from these wells” and all Namibian regulations and international best practices will be followed, though project remains highly controversial. It is protected under the protocol of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission. The Kalahari Basin, also known as the Kalahari Depression, Barotse Basin, or the Kalahari-Okavango Basin, is an endorheic basinand large lowland area covering over 2.5 million km2covering most of Botswanaand Namibia, as well as parts of Angola, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Analysts estimate the company could generate 120 billion barrels of petroleum on just 12% of this footprint, potentially outperforming the oil-rich Permian Basin in Texas if exploration continues. The Okavango River Basin provides a clearer example of a transboundary freshwater system where human and ecosystem need to compete for scarce water supplies in an otherwise arid region. Located in the Okavango wilderness region of Namibia and Botswana, the massive Kavango Basin is thought to hold more than 30 billion barrels of crude oil. It is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, running southeastward for 1,600 km (990 mi). - Collaboration to enhance res... World LNG Series: Asia Pacific Summit - Postponed to 2022, International Labmate Limited The exploration license covers the entire Kavango sedimentary basin an area of approximately 25,341.33 sq km (6.3 million acres), and based on … But they fear that land could be under threat after a Canadian petroleum exploration company was granted a licence by the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy to explore the Kavango Basin, a region that spreads across the northeast part of Namibia as well as the northwest part of Botswana. Okavango River Basin and Improving the Integrity of the Okavango Delta World Heritage Property Maun, 3-4 June 2019 Botswana Overview of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin in Angola: Challenges and Perspectives. Africa is particularly exciting, with analysts labelling it the “last frontier” of onshore oil exploration. The Okavango Delta is the only source of water in the region. Some flood … ReconAfrica’s spokesperson, Claire Preece, told Al Jazeera “There is no fracking in our programme, no horizontal wells, and very limited water usage such that the water wells will be turned over to the community.”, And in March, petroleum minister Shino issued a statement confirming “No licence to conduct fracking activities was granted to Reconnaissance Energy by the ministry and no such licence is being contemplated.”. Conservationists worry that oil drilling could negatively impact the region’s ecosystem and the species that call it home, including desert elephants such as this one [File: Jerome Delay/AP Photo]“Looking at the geological aspects – trying to tap into the so-called shale gas – and the commercial potential, this is definitely a fracking exercise if they [ReconAfrica] get permission from the Ministry of Mines and Energy,” Arkert said. An online petition appealing to the governments of Namibia and Botswana has garnered more than 150,000 signatures. The Okavango basin covers 1% of the continent. All rights reserved. The Okavango does not have an outlet to the sea. The outstanding physical feature in the basin, and occupying the centre, is the large Kalahari Desert. Some will use fracking techniques, a highly controversial practice that sees high-pressure fluid injected into underground shale to create fractures and release oil. The Cubango is joined just above its confluence with the Cuito by the Omatako River, which flows northeast from its origin in the Damaraland region of central Namibia.
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