Knowledge (XXG)

Okavango River

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1005: 580:. In January 2021 ReconAfrica announced the start of drilling operations on the first exploration well. Environmental activists have expressed concern that ReconAfrica’s plans for its test wells have not been properly vetted through Namibia’s environmental review process, however ReconAfrica and both the governments of Namibia and Botswana have stated that the company's activities have followed due process and that no fracking will occur. ReconAfrica’s drilling area is in the 505: 442: 59: 325: 47: 991: 468:
stretches to 150 km across from east to west; one of the factors that leads to the ever-changing nature of the delta is the flatness of the area. If one were to take a cross section of the delta at its widest point, one would find that the height variation from the mean over that 150 km is
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Both Namibia and Botswana experience drought, and as a result, concerns have been expressed about possible conflict over use of the river's water. Namibia has built a water canal, measuring about 300 km long, and has proposed a project to build a 250 km pipeline to divert water from the
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and a similar amount of bedload to the terminal swamps. Most of the particulate sediment carried by the river is fine sand, with some silt and mud, thanks to the geological makeup of the Okavango River catchment which is largely underlain by Kalahari sand. There is low concentration of dissolved
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through the plants and numerous channels of the final 250 km of the delta. As a result, the flood is at its biggest sometime between June and August, during Botswana's dry winter months. The delta then swells to three times its permanent size, attracting animals from kilometres around and
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Namibia, in turn, has argued that it will only divert half of one percent of the river's flow, and that it is entitled to any water that flows through its territory. To deal with such issues, in September 1994, Angola, Namibia, and Botswana signed an agreement to form the
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Botswana, however, uses the Okavango Delta for both tourism income and a water source. The Department of Water Affairs in Botswana has submitted that 97% of the water in the river is lost through evaporation, so the country cannot afford to lose any extra water.
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solids in the river water - around 40 mg/L, made up mostly of silica, calcium and magnesium bicarbonates - but these dissolved solids form the largest component of sediment carried into the delta because the annual water volume is so large.
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in Namibia. It is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, running southeastward for 1,600 km (1,000 mi). It begins at an elevation of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in the sandy highlands of
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Every wet season, Angola receives three times more rainfall than Botswana, discharging a higher than usual flow into the Okavango, turning swathes of outlying desert into a huge wetland.
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Although the summer rains fall in Angola in January, they take a whole month to travel the first 1,000 km of the Okavango River, and then they take a further four months to
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Before it enters Botswana, the river drops 4 m (13 ft) in a series of rapids known as Popa Falls, visible when the river is low, as during the dry season.
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In very wet years, a part of the river's flow may extend along the Magweggana River (actually a northeastern distributary of the Okavango Delta) and enter the
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Hanibal Lemma, and colleagues (2019). "Bedload transport measurements in the Gilgel Abay River, Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia".
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McCarthy, T S (October 2013). "The okavango delta and its place in the geomorphological evolution of Southern Africa".
336:(formerly spelt Okovango or Okovanggo), is a river in southwest Africa. It is known by this name in Botswana, and as 1178: 576:, has obtained exploration licenses for more than 13,600 square miles of land in the Kavango Region of Namibia and in 891: 1173: 1168: 1031: 1198: 1188: 1066: 1054: 31: 1203: 731: 585: 561:, to provide advice to the three countries about the best ways to share the Okavango River's resources. 609: 584:
region which contains a multicountry conservation park, six locally managed wildlife reserves, and one
770: 396: 1124: 685: 636:"The Cuito catchment of the Okavango system: a vascular plant checklist for the Angolan headwaters" 430: 200: 786: 485: 1129: 912: 871: 841: 835: 697: 667: 498: 497:
During colder periods in Earth's history, a part of the Kalahari was a massive lake, known as
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Oil drilling, possible fracking planned for Okavango region—elephants’ last stronghold
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Siyabona Africa Travel (Pty) Ltd, "Popa Falls | Okavango River | Botswana" webpage:
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of the vegetation, reducing water flow downstream as the accumulated water instead
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site, however the drilling license does not include any of these protected areas.
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less than 2 m, which means that a minor sand deposition can cause major changes.
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Confluence of Cuito (from top) and Okavango (flowing from left to right) (2018)
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ReconAfrica starts drilling on first well in Kavango Basin, Namibia
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The Cubango and Cuito Rivers are the principal tributaries of the
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Goyder, David J.; Barker, Nigel; et al. (27 November 2018).
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Varis, Olli; Tortajada, Cecilia; Biswas, Asit K. (2008-03-15).
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congregate each summer. Part of the river's flow fills
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At its widest point in a big flood year, the seasonal
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http://blog.africabespoke.com/okavango-delta-part-2/
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creating one of Africa's greatest concentrations of
1065: 892:"ReconAfrica Environmental, Social, and Governance" 572:, a petroleum exploration company headquartered in 413:, which features an expansive area of rainy-season 304: 294: 284: 276: 264: 256: 246: 207: 194: 182: 168: 129: 116: 108: 99: 73: 68: 39: 549:river into Namibia to help relieve the drought. 559:Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission 1039: 484:The river carries annually 28,000 tonnes of 8: 867:Management of Transboundary Rivers and Lakes 603: 601: 328:Kavango river view at Hakusembe river lodge 1046: 1032: 1024: 57: 661: 651: 310:1,000 m/s (35,000 cu ft/s) 268:530,000 km (200,000 sq mi) 730:, The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham 429:, the Okavango area contains Botswana's 837:Resource Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa 597: 405:In the rainy season, an outflow to the 300:350 m/s (12,000 cu ft/s) 290:475 m/s (16,800 cu ft/s) 36: 859: 857: 704:from the original on 8 November 2020. 608:Mendelsohn, John (9 September 2021). 409:in turn seasonally discharges to the 7: 829: 827: 25: 1003: 989: 834:Basedau, Matthias (2005-01-01). 806:South African Journal of Geology 361:or Okavango Alluvial Fan, in an 45: 1184:International rivers of Africa 209: • coordinates 131: • coordinates 27:Major river in southern Africa 1: 840:. GIGA-Hamburg. p. 294. 783:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.123968 690:"Okavango Wilderness Project" 260:1,700 km (1,100 mi) 100:Physical characteristics 686:Society, National Geographic 646:. Pensoft Publishers: 1–31. 248: • elevation 174:1,788 m (5,866 ft) 170: • elevation 51:Okavango in Kavango, Namibia 653:10.3897/phytokeys.113.30439 417:where tens of thousands of 196: • location 118: • location 1220: 694:www.nationalgeographic.org 476:, bypassing the Kalahari. 380: 306: • maximum 296: • minimum 286: • average 252:978 m (3,209 ft) 29: 318: 314: 272: 178: 104: 56: 44: 726:C. Michael Hogan (2008) 63:Okavango river basin map 751:Okavango River Flooding 818:10.2113/gssajg.116.1.1 540: 446: 373:is a major tributary. 353:, and then flows into 329: 1194:Angola–Namibia border 586:UNESCO World Heritage 528:18.02778°S 20.79194°E 507: 444: 327: 763:Journal of Hydrology 614:Conservation Namibia 610:"A River in Trouble" 30:For other uses, see 775:2019JHyd..57723968L 533:-18.02778; 20.79194 524: /  431:Moremi Game Reserve 397:flows into the sand 227: /  201:Moremi Game Reserve 149: /  1179:Rivers of Botswana 747:2009-07-19 at the 716:TravelZA-PopaFalls 541: 486:suspended sediment 480:Sediment transport 447: 330: 1174:Rivers of Namibia 1153: 1152: 698:Into the Okavango 499:Lake Makgadikgadi 445:Popa Falls (2018) 411:Makgadikgadi Pans 322: 321: 231:18.988°S 22.576°E 153:12.706°S 16.081°E 16:(Redirected from 1211: 1169:Rivers of Angola 1048: 1041: 1034: 1025: 1013: 1008: 1007: 1006: 999: 997:Geography portal 994: 993: 992: 976: 971: 965: 960: 954: 953: 951: 949: 935: 929: 928: 926: 924: 909: 903: 902: 900: 898: 888: 882: 881: 861: 852: 851: 831: 822: 821: 801: 795: 794: 758: 752: 739: 733: 724: 718: 712: 706: 705: 682: 676: 675: 665: 655: 631: 625: 624: 622: 620: 605: 539: 538: 536: 535: 534: 529: 525: 522: 521: 520: 517: 425:. Noted for its 393:controlled burns 307: 297: 287: 242: 241: 239: 238: 237: 232: 228: 225: 224: 223: 220: 171: 164: 163: 161: 160: 159: 154: 150: 147: 146: 145: 142: 132: 119: 61: 49: 37: 21: 1219: 1218: 1214: 1213: 1212: 1210: 1209: 1208: 1199:Water conflicts 1189:Kalahari Desert 1159: 1158: 1156: 1154: 1149: 1061: 1052: 1019:OKACOM Homepage 1009: 1004: 1002: 995: 990: 988: 985: 980: 979: 972: 968: 961: 957: 947: 945: 937: 936: 932: 922: 920: 919:(Press release) 911: 910: 906: 896: 894: 890: 889: 885: 878: 863: 862: 855: 848: 833: 832: 825: 803: 802: 798: 760: 759: 755: 749:Wayback Machine 740: 736: 725: 721: 713: 709: 684: 683: 679: 633: 632: 628: 618: 616: 607: 606: 599: 594: 567: 565:Oil exploration 546: 532: 530: 526: 523: 518: 515: 513: 511: 510: 509: 495: 482: 439: 385: 379: 367:Kalahari Desert 363:endorheic basin 340:in Angola, and 305: 295: 285: 249: 236:-18.988; 22.576 235: 233: 229: 226: 221: 218: 216: 214: 213: 210: 197: 169: 158:-12.706; 16.081 157: 155: 151: 148: 143: 140: 138: 136: 135: 130: 117: 95: 64: 52: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1217: 1215: 1207: 1206: 1201: 1196: 1191: 1186: 1181: 1176: 1171: 1161: 1160: 1151: 1150: 1148: 1147: 1142: 1137: 1132: 1127: 1122: 1117: 1112: 1107: 1102: 1097: 1092: 1087: 1082: 1077: 1071: 1069: 1063: 1062: 1053: 1051: 1050: 1043: 1036: 1028: 1022: 1021: 1015: 1014: 1000: 984: 983:External links 981: 978: 977: 966: 955: 930: 904: 883: 876: 853: 846: 823: 796: 753: 734: 719: 707: 677: 626: 596: 595: 593: 590: 566: 563: 545: 544:Water conflict 542: 494: 491: 481: 478: 438: 435: 389:Okavango Delta 383:Kalahari Basin 381:Main article: 378: 375: 359:Okavango Delta 334:Okavango River 320: 319: 316: 315: 312: 311: 308: 302: 301: 298: 292: 291: 288: 282: 281: 278: 274: 273: 270: 269: 266: 262: 261: 258: 254: 253: 250: 247: 244: 243: 211: 208: 205: 204: 198: 195: 192: 191: 189:Okavango Delta 186: 180: 179: 176: 175: 172: 166: 165: 133: 127: 126: 120: 114: 113: 110: 106: 105: 102: 101: 97: 96: 94: 93: 88: 83: 77: 75: 71: 70: 66: 65: 62: 54: 53: 50: 42: 41: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1216: 1205: 1204:Border rivers 1202: 1200: 1197: 1195: 1192: 1190: 1187: 1185: 1182: 1180: 1177: 1175: 1172: 1170: 1167: 1166: 1164: 1157: 1146: 1143: 1141: 1138: 1136: 1133: 1131: 1128: 1126: 1123: 1121: 1118: 1116: 1113: 1111: 1108: 1106: 1103: 1101: 1098: 1096: 1093: 1091: 1088: 1086: 1083: 1081: 1078: 1076: 1073: 1072: 1070: 1068: 1064: 1060: 1056: 1049: 1044: 1042: 1037: 1035: 1030: 1029: 1026: 1020: 1017: 1016: 1012: 1011:Africa portal 1001: 998: 987: 982: 975: 970: 967: 964: 959: 956: 944: 940: 934: 931: 918: 914: 908: 905: 893: 887: 884: 879: 877:9783540749288 873: 869: 868: 860: 858: 854: 849: 847:9783928049917 843: 839: 838: 830: 828: 824: 819: 815: 811: 807: 800: 797: 792: 788: 784: 780: 776: 772: 768: 764: 757: 754: 750: 746: 743: 738: 735: 732: 729: 723: 720: 717: 711: 708: 703: 699: 695: 691: 687: 681: 678: 673: 669: 664: 659: 654: 649: 645: 641: 637: 630: 627: 615: 611: 604: 602: 598: 591: 589: 587: 583: 579: 575: 571: 564: 562: 560: 554: 550: 543: 537: 506: 502: 500: 492: 490: 487: 479: 477: 475: 474:Zambezi River 470: 467: 462: 460: 455: 450: 443: 436: 434: 432: 428: 424: 420: 416: 412: 408: 403: 400: 398: 394: 390: 384: 376: 374: 372: 368: 364: 360: 356: 352: 348: 343: 339: 335: 326: 317: 313: 309: 303: 299: 293: 289: 283: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 255: 251: 245: 240: 212: 206: 202: 199: 193: 190: 187: 185: 181: 177: 173: 167: 162: 134: 128: 124: 121: 115: 111: 107: 103: 98: 92: 89: 87: 84: 82: 79: 78: 76: 72: 67: 60: 55: 48: 43: 38: 33: 19: 18:Kavango River 1155: 1140:Rio Quicombo 1134: 969: 958: 946:. Retrieved 942: 933: 921:. Retrieved 916: 907: 895:. Retrieved 886: 866: 836: 809: 805: 799: 766: 762: 756: 737: 728:Makgadikgadi 727: 722: 710: 693: 680: 643: 639: 629: 617:. Retrieved 613: 582:Kavango West 568: 555: 551: 547: 496: 483: 471: 463: 451: 448: 407:Boteti River 404: 401: 386: 370: 341: 337: 333: 331: 1130:Lungwebungu 917:twitter.com 570:ReconAfrica 531: / 519:020°47′31″E 371:Cuito River 234: / 156: / 1163:Categories 943:mme.gov.na 769:: 123968. 663:2263/71882 592:References 516:18°01′40″S 423:Lake Ngami 265:Basin size 222:22°34′34″E 219:18°59′17″S 203:, Botswana 144:16°04′52″E 141:12°42′22″S 1115:Luanginga 1075:Chiloango 791:199099061 672:1314-2003 640:PhytoKeys 619:8 January 419:flamingos 277:Discharge 123:Cachiungo 74:Countries 1135:Okavango 948:30 April 923:30 April 812:: 1–54. 745:Archived 702:Archived 578:Botswana 459:wildlife 427:wildlife 355:Botswana 125:, Angola 91:Botswana 69:Location 40:Okavango 1145:Zambezi 771:Bibcode 493:History 415:wetland 369:. The 365:in the 351:Namibia 342:Kavango 338:Cubango 86:Namibia 32:Cubango 1120:Lucala 1105:Kwango 1095:Cunene 1090:Cuanza 1085:Cuando 1067:Rivers 1059:Angola 1055:Rivers 897:20 May 874:  844:  789:  670:  574:Canada 454:filter 347:Angola 280:  257:Length 112:  109:Source 81:Angola 1125:Luena 1110:Kwilu 1100:Kasai 1080:Congo 787:S2CID 466:swamp 437:Flood 184:Mouth 950:2021 925:2021 899:2021 872:ISBN 842:ISBN 668:ISSN 621:2024 377:Flow 332:The 1057:of 814:doi 810:116 779:doi 767:577 658:hdl 648:doi 644:113 1165:: 941:. 915:. 856:^ 826:^ 808:. 785:. 777:. 765:. 700:. 696:. 692:. 688:. 666:. 656:. 642:. 638:. 612:. 600:^ 461:. 433:. 399:. 1047:e 1040:t 1033:v 952:. 927:. 901:. 880:. 850:. 820:. 816:: 793:. 781:: 773:: 674:. 660:: 650:: 623:. 34:. 20:)

Index

Kavango River
Cubango


Angola
Namibia
Botswana
Cachiungo
12°42′22″S 16°04′52″E / 12.706°S 16.081°E / -12.706; 16.081
Mouth
Okavango Delta
Moremi Game Reserve
18°59′17″S 22°34′34″E / 18.988°S 22.576°E / -18.988; 22.576

Angola
Namibia
Botswana
Okavango Delta
endorheic basin
Kalahari Desert
Kalahari Basin
Okavango Delta
controlled burns
flows into the sand
Boteti River
Makgadikgadi Pans
wetland
flamingos
Lake Ngami
wildlife

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