De Beers’ 4 Primary focus areas towards Okavango Delta Protection

De Beers is committed to the protection and conservation of the Okavango Delta. In a gesture to show its seriousness, the company has partnered with National Geographic to launch Okavango Eternal.

Okavango Eternal is a landmark partnership with a motive to protect the source waters of Okavango Delta and the livelihoods they support. The two (2) got into a partnership spanning five (5) years with focus on working with local communities to “deliver ecological solutions that lead to collective economic opportunity.”

The partnership will mainly focus on four (4) areas;

1. Supporting critical conservation research through funding expeditions to gather new data, installing monitoring technology and building capacity of local researchers through grants and training.
2. Protecting the natural world through providing long-term wildlife corridor protection for the movement and proliferation of endangered species. Moreover, the partnership seek to support critical conservation research through funding expeditions to gather new data, installing monitoring technology and building capacity of local researchers through grants and training.
3. Supporting local communities by helping to ensure water and food security for local communities, developing livelihood opportunities in the region, and enabling increased resilience to climate-related impacts.
4. Raising awareness of the Okavango Delta and its benefits through compelling storytelling. The partnership aims to facilitate access to the Delta for local educators and youth. Furthermore, the partnership will help bring the wonder and importance of the Delta and its headwaters to a wider global audience.

“We are committed to investing in Botswana’s future and this partnership with National Geographic will play an important part in this vital recovery work, supporting lives and livelihoods – especially those in the crucial eco-tourism sector which has been so hard hit due to restricted travel. The Okavango Delta is truly a natural miracle, and we must ensure its long-term health, both in support of Botswana’s economic future, and in support of all the people and wildlife that depend on it.” Bruce Cleaver, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of De Beers Group proclaimed.