National Geographic and De Beers Renew Okavango Pact
The partnership continues its conservation work across the Okavango River Basin to protect vital water sources and local livelihoods.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Geography
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The National Geographic Society and De Beers Group have renewed their Okavango Eternal partnership for another five-year term. This initiative aims to protect natural resources and expand conservation-linked economic opportunities across the Okavango River Basin.
Why it matters
The partnership focuses on securing formal protection for 54,000 square kilometres at the Basin's source while strengthening community-led stewardship. By linking conservation to economic development, the initiative seeks to ensure long-term stability for over one million people who depend on the river system.
Researchers have mapped 230 carbon-storing peatland sites and trained 82 monitors to oversee 20,000 square kilometres of forest. The project relies on data gathered during 19 local research expeditions.
The players
National Geographic Society
This is a global non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research, exploration, and conservation education.
De Beers Group
This international corporation specializes in diamond exploration, mining, retail, and trading.
Wild Bird Trust
This organization implements the impact work for the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project.
The details
The program provides business training, mentoring, and market access, while infrastructure improvements have already reached 18,500 people in Angola. Angola also recently designated the Lisima Lya Mwono region as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance to support these conservation efforts.
Timeline
The Okavango Eternal partnership originally launched in 2021.
The renewal was announced in October 2026 at New York Climate Week.
The new commitment period spans from 2026 through 2031.
The Big Picture
The designation of Lisima Lya Mwono as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance follows the global conservation framework established by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The project uses this international protocol to legitimize and formalize the protection of critical headwaters.
The initiative aims to safeguard the water source for 95% of the Okavango Delta, which is essential for regional water security. Improved conservation management could stabilize local ecosystems, directly benefiting communities that rely on these natural resources for their livelihoods.
The takeaway
Effective conservation in this region relies on integrating community-led stewardship with access to ethical global markets. This model demonstrates how large-scale ecological protection can simultaneously drive socio-economic growth for local populations.
Further reading
Learn more about the region's environmental importance in our Geography section.
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