The National Geographic Society and De Beers Group today announced the renewal of the Okavango Eternal partnership for an additional five years, reaffirming their commitment to the long-term protection of the Okavango River Basin (“the Basin”) and to conservation-related livelihood opportunities for the people who live there and help steward it.
One of Africa’s most vital wetland ecosystems, the Basin provides food, water and livelihoods for more than 1 million people and sustains one of the world’s largest elephant populations, while its Angolan headwaters feed other major river systems across the continent.
Today’s announcement follows an event held last night in New York, co-hosted by the Society and De Beers during New York Climate Week.
The gathering celebrated the first five years of Okavango Eternal and brought together world leaders, policymakers and sustainability changemakers. At the event, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, President of the Republic of Botswana, alongside Ministers from Botswana, Angola and Namibia, came together to form an Alliance that demonstrated their shared commitment to strengthen cooperation across the Basin.
Since its launch in 2021, the Okavango Eternal partnership has delivered tangible progress and will now build on that foundation by strengthening collaboration with Angola, Namibia and Botswana the three countries that share the Basin. The geography of the Basin makes this level of cooperation essential. More than 95% of the water sustaining the Okavango Delta originates in the Angolan Highlands before flowing through Namibia and into Botswana. This interconnected system links the food and water security and economic futures of all three countries.
The next five-year phase of Okavango Eternal comes at a critical moment for preserving the Basin’s freshwater resources. While the Delta in Botswana benefits from formal protection, its Angolan source does not and faces mounting environmental and development pressures. Beyond global recognition as a wetland of international importance, formally protecting the Basin’s Angolan source is essential for current and future generations.
Over the next five years, the Society and De Beers aim to help secure formal protection for approximately 5.4 million hectares (54,000 square kilometers) at the Basin’s source in Angola, while also strengthening community-led systems of stewardship across the Basin. Achieving this ambition will require transboundary cooperation between governments, supported by communities and a broader global coalition of partners.
As an early expression of this more coordinated Basin-wide approach, Okavango Eternal today supported the presentation of an Okavango Eternal Alliance between the Governments of Botswana, Angola and Namibia. The Alliance affirms a shared commitment to safeguard the Basin as one interconnected system, from its source in Angola, through Namibia, and into the Delta in Botswana.
His Excellency Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, President of the Republic of Botswana
“Our ambition is clear: to strengthen cooperation across the Basin, deepen scientific understanding of this globally significant ecosystem, and expand opportunities for communities through conservation, transboundary tourism and sustainable livelihoods. Through Okavango Eternal, responsibly sourced natural diamonds are helping protect the source waters of the Okavango Basin, empower communities and demonstrate how natural wealth, when governed with integrity and purpose, can be transformed into enduring human and ecological progress for generations to come.”
Five Years of Collective Impact
During its first five years, Okavango Eternal has combined the Society’s strengths in science, exploration and impact storytelling with De Beers’ century-long experience in nature conservation in southern Africa. Their collective work has also strengthened the relationships, knowledge and local capacity needed for continued collaboration with governments and communities in Okavango Eternal’s next chapter.
One of Okavango Eternal’s defining milestones was Angola’s designation of Lisima Lya Mwono, or “Source of Life,” as the country’s first Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Led by the Government of Angola, the designation was supported by scientific research, traditional knowledge, and community engagement advanced through the partnership, helping elevate the Angolan Highlands Water Tower’s ecological and cultural importance. It marks a meaningful step toward the broader protection that Okavango Eternal is now working to help secure across the Basin.
Additional highlights from its first phase include:
- Advancing locally led science to inform conservation policy, including 19 research expeditions, new species documentation and mapping of 230 carbon-storing peatland sites, some holding carbon dating back 10,000 years.
- Elevating traditional knowledge alongside science through locally led initiatives such as the Watchers program, which has trained 82 community members to monitor more than 20,000 square kilometers of forest at the Basin’s Angolan source.
- Supporting 2,118 conservation-linked livelihood opportunities across Angola, Namibia and Botswana, including beekeeping, basket weaving, regenerative agriculture and entrepreneurial skills.
- Improving infrastructure for 18,500 people in Angola, including bridges, traditional meeting centers, and refurbished schools and clinics.
- Inspiring local cultural movements through storytelling, including the award-winning film “Nkashi: Race for the Okavango,” which reached more than 4 million people.
- Expanding conservation education through two Nkashi Knowledge Centres, supported by a traveling Nkashi Knowledge Bus.
Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society
“We’ve built incredible momentum through our Okavango Eternal partnership with De Beers, and shown what is possible when organizations unite around a shared vision to protect the natural world while honoring the communities and traditions that call it home. Looking ahead, we’re inspired by what we can achieve alongside the governments and communities of Angola, Namibia and Botswana to secure lasting protection for the river, its landscapes and the livelihoods it sustains.”
Sandrine Conseiller, CEO of De Beers Brands
“The Okavango is one of the most magnificent places I have ever visited. Seeing first-hand the scale, beauty and importance of this ecosystem reinforced why protecting it matters so much. For De Beers, understanding where something comes from matters. That is why helping protect the source of this remarkable ecosystem feels both meaningful and important. Over the past five years, Okavango Eternal has deepened understanding of the Basin, strengthened conservation efforts, and supported important milestones. As we begin this next chapter, I am excited by what more we can achieve together, and proud that De Beers continues to support the protection of the Okavango and the communities and wildlife that depend upon it.”
Malebogo Mpugwa, Chief People Officer, De Beers Group
“The Okavango is one of the world’s most extraordinary natural systems, but its importance is felt most deeply in the lives of the people who depend on it — in the water they drink, the livelihoods they build, the traditions they carry and the future they want for their children. That is why Okavango Eternal matters so much. It brings together governments, communities, conservation experts and partners around a shared commitment to protect the Basin in a way that respects local knowledge and supports long-term opportunity. The progress made so far shows what is possible when conservation is rooted in respect, partnership and genuine care for the people and places connected by the Okavango.”
Looking Ahead: The Next Five Years
The Okavango Eternal partnership will continue to support the work of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP), with impact work implemented by the Wild Bird Trust family of organizations across the Basin.
Building on their shared foundation, the Society and De Beers will pursue three connected goals over the next five years:
1. Advancing conservation through science and traditional knowledge, while inspiring new career pathways and informing policy and conservation dialogue.
2. Expanding livelihood opportunities that enable people to lead and benefit from conservation, with practical support including financial and business training, mentoring, and connections to ethical markets.
3. Leveraging storytelling to inspire conservation action through the globally known National Geographic brand, and by investing in youth-led local storytelling initiatives.
Supporting these ambitions, the emerging Alliance between the Governments of Angola, Namibia and Botswana will provide a platform for greater coordination across the Basin. The Alliance will help align conservation efforts, mobilize additional expertise and resources, and ensure that long-term protection of the Basin supports the distinct development priorities of each country. Together, governments, communities, researchers, community-based organizations and other partners will play a critical role in delivering the next chapter of Okavango Eternal.