Cracks in the Kalahari’s Emerald: Threats to the Okavango Delta By National Geographic Society, adapted by Newsela staff on 01.21.20 Word Count 701 Level 940L

Image 1. An elephant walking through the Okavango Delta. Photo from: Getty Images/Gamma-Rapho/Gilles MARTIN/Gamma-Rapho.

There are many species of plants and animals that call the Okavango Delta their home. Human activities are threatening their well-being and the environment itself.

In the northwestern part of the African country of Botswana, there lies an oasis in the Kalahari Desert. This oasis is called the Okavango Delta. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Centre and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance consider it a site worthy of protection.

Deltas are wetlands located at the ends of rivers. They are usually formed when rivers empty their water into another body of water. Some deltas never reach a lake or sea. They are very rare. The Okavango Delta is one of those rare deltas.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Water from the Okavango River ends in a flat plain. It spreads across a wide inland delta.

The Okavango Delta is home to almost 2,000 plant and animal species that depend on the habitats of the delta for survival. Many threatened and endangered species make this inland delta their home. These include the African wild dog, the southern ground- hornbill, the giant ground pangolin, the black rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros.

There are also about 150,000 people who depend on the delta's resources for their own ways of life. The delta is a permanent source of water and has diverse wildlife and habitats. It is an attractive area for tourism, wildlife poaching and farming. All of these activities pose a threat to this gem in the Kalahari Desert.

Compounding Concerns

There are many factors that significantly affect the delta's ecosystem.

Water And Land Threats

The removal of water from its source for human use is an issue surrounding the delta. There are increasing demands to divert water from the Okavango River for industrial use. Angola, Botswana and Namibia have formed a commission to oversee water use. Its mission is to be socially just and promote development in an environmentally healthy way.

While this is a long-term concern, UNESCO says there are also more immediate challenges. The population of large mammals is declining. Plants that are not native to the area are growing there. It is difficult to ensure that the local community is able to access and benefit from the land.

The use of artificial fertilizers is another problem. They contain high amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that help plants grow. When they get into the water, they increase the growth of tiny plants called algae. Large amounts of algae in the river reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, which fish and other underwater life need to survive.

Poaching Threat

The large amount of wildlife in the delta attracts a large number of illegal hunters known as poachers. Most poachers hunt to gather meat for their families. Some sell the meat or parts of the animals on the illegal black market. The most common item sold on the black market is ivory from elephant tusks. Ivory has historically been used for many things, including piano keys. Today, most ivory is used to make knick-knacks.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Elephants are not the only animals threatened by poaching. Poachers hunt lions for their bones and rhinos for their horns. The bones and horns are used as ingredients in traditional medicines. Elephant tusks, lion bones and rhino horns are also sold as status symbols. They indicate that the owner is very rich.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has an idea to solve poaching. It wants to turn poachers into "good guys." As experienced hunters, poachers have wilderness skills and knowledge. They might be willing to use their abilities to manage wildlife. Convincing illegal hunters to use their skills to preserve species instead of killing them might help the problem of poaching.

Final Thoughts

The Okavango Delta's swamps and grasslands are home to nearly 2,000 species, including humans. This refuge can support the quantity and diversity of life here if its contents are cared for. With proper management, there is still hope to save this African Eden.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Which sentence in the section “Poaching Threat” BEST supports the inference that poachers might not be eager to help reduce the illegal hunting problem?

(A) The large amount of wildlife in the delta attracts a large number of illegal hunters known as poachers.

(B) The bones and horns are used as ingredients in traditional medicines.

(C) They might be willing to use their abilities to manage wildlife.

(D) Convincing illegal hunters to use their skills to preserve species instead of killing them might help the problem of poaching.

2 One conclusion a reader could make is that the wildlife in the Okavango Delta might change significantly if it is not cared for.

Which of the following statements accurately paraphrases evidence from the article to support the conclusion?

(A) Several countries have formed a group to oversee water use in the delta region to cope with increasing industrial demands.

(B) Nitrogen and phosphorus in artificial fertilizers help plants grow and in turn make the Okavango Delta more plant-based.

(C) Poachers are killing large mammals in the Okavango Delta, non-native plant species are appearing, and algae could pose a threat to aquatic life.

(D) Many threatened and endangered species such as the African wild dog and the black rhinoceros make the Okavango Delta their home.

3 Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) Deltas are wetlands located at the ends of rivers.

(B) The Okavango Delta is home to almost 2,000 plant and animal species that depend on the habitats of the delta for survival.

(C) The removal of water from its source for human use is an issue surrounding the delta.

(D) Some sell the meat or parts of the animals on the illegal black market.

4 Which statement is a central idea of the article?

(A) The Okavango Delta is the most important resource in Africa and must be protected.

(B) About 150,000 people who live near the Okavango Delta depend on its resources.

(C) Human activities have put the ecosystems in the Okavango Delta in danger.

(D) Fertilizers that make their way to the Okavango River could harm the delta's ecosystems.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.