Namibia - Okavango Delta

This delta system in Kalahari Desert comprises permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a sea or ocean, with a wetland system that is almost intact. One of the unique characteristics of the property is the progressive annual flooding from the River Okavango that progress through the system to reach its peak in Botswana during the dry season, with the result that the native plants and animals have synchronized their biological cycles with these seasonal rains and floods. The biota has uniquely adapted their growth and reproductive behaviour, particularly the flooded grassland biota, to be timed with the arrival of floodwater. It is an exceptional example of the interaction between climatic, hydrological and biological processes. The Okavango Delta is home to some of the world’s most endangered species of large mammal, such as the cheetah, white rhinoceros, black rhinoceros, African wild dog and lion.