Why Okavango Delta is drying - experts speak
Friday, August 02, 2019
Jao channel - July 2019 PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES
Exactly 100 years since Batawana’s first relocation after settling in Ngamiland, Maun is staring at the worst drought in recent history. It is not just Maun. The entire south western part of the Okavango Delta is as dry as a bone.
The annual flood from the Okavango’s catchment was at its lowest levels this year. The low water found empty rivers and it is unlikely that the trickle will reach Maun this year.
It is a clear signal that the government’s purse is empty and that our own behaviour has left veterinary officials fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. We have been here before. During COVID-19, many of us thought we knew better. We ignored simple rules, we carried on as if the danger was someone else’s problem, and the virus took lives and left our economy on its knees. We are still broke from that experience. Yet now, with FMD...