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Importance of preservation in the Okavango Delta
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A brief highlighted document for OCR Biology A on the Importance of preservation in the Okavango Delta with graded A*
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Importance of preservation in the Okavango DeltaThe Okavango Delta is the main source of water for a million people and is one of the most
biodiverse places in Africa due to the flooding of one of the world’s largest wetlands as
seasonal rains from the highlands flood it each year. It supports the world’s largest
remaining elephant population as well as lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, hundreds of species of
birds, and much more therefore preservation of the ecosystem is very important.
Main threats to the area
The Delta depends on the water inflow from Namibia and Angola and increased upstream water
extraction and pollution form the major threats from these countries due to them needing it for uses
such as agriculture, fishing, resource collection and private household use. This can have a massive
impact on the resource base and biodiversity due to growing commercial and subsistence use of the
Okavango Delta and its resources. The Government of Botswana has also expressed concern about
the depletion of some products of the Delta, overgrazing and land degradation due to the excessive
human activity and the environmental impacts of the growing number of international tourists.
Unsustainable agricultural practices are also a big challenge and farmers engaging in these methods
to make quick income has meant soils are very nutrient poor and this may result in unnecessary
deforestation
Why is it important to preserve this area?
If these threats are not addressed, they will have a profound impact on the freshwater biodiversity.
As the Delta is home to over 1,000 species of plants and more than 480 species of birds this is clearly
an important topic of discussion and needs to be addressed. Also, incredibly important to reduce
ecological pressures of current members of species that are at risk of poaching for human benefit
however in the case of elephant poaching, elephants exert a large amount of pressure on the
environment often exceeding the carrying capacity of the habitat. It is important to secure a home
for these elephants to allow them to safely migrate to habitable locations. For humans it acts as the
water source for more than 1,000,000 people and whilst tourism has affected the area it is a vital
source of income for many locals who rely on the economy that international travellers provide.
Many animals also endangered including the rare black rhino with a population of just 5 left in the
entire world.
What strategies are being used to preserve this area?
The Okavango Delta now receives aids from many international corporations including a long-term
water quality monitoring programme and an outreach book for stakeholders and decision-maker so
verdicts on how the area should be managed is more regulated. A freshwater biodiversity baseline
was also established to be monitored through an index of biological integrity that is being piloted
and will yield management-oriented information for many more years. The new book released
highlighting freshwater species and issues within the Delta will reach key decision-makers rapidly
and serve to pilot a reporting tool for communication about the status of freshwater biodiversity and
wetland health further improving the education and awareness of the area. A new Water Fund
model links local entities such as farmers to clean and reliable water supplies supporting
infrastructure development and also improving irrigation skills along with ongoing scientific studies
into how to prevent permanent damage to the ecosystem.
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