Latest Group news

Building on five years of conservation, livelihoods and storytelling impact, the renewed Okavango Eternal partnership will deepen collaboration with governments and communities across Botswana, Angola and Namibia

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 one 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 in New York last night, co-hosted by the National Geographic 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 forming an Alliance that demonstrated their shared commitment to strengthen transboundary 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 Botswana, Angola and Namibia, the three countries that share the Basin. The geography of the Basin makes this level of cooperation essential. More than 95 percent 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.

During the next five years, the National Geographic 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 Botswana, Angola and Namibia to secure lasting protection for the river, its landscapes and the livelihoods it sustains."

Sandrine Conseiller, CEO of De Beers Brands & Diamond Desirability

"The Okavango is one of the most magnificent places I have ever visited. Hence, its light, water and movement run through the latest high jewellery collections of our Maison.

“More than inspiration, once you have seen the Okavango, preserving it stops being a cause and becomes a necessity. Protecting the source of one of Africa's great river systems is not a gesture, it is a responsibility.

“The five years of Okavango Eternal have produced results, not intentions: 230 carbon-storing peatlands mapped, 82 community Watchers trained, more than 2,000 conservation-linked livelihoods supported, and Angola's first Ramsar wetland secured by its Government.

“The next five years are just as precise: formal protection for 5.4 million hectares at the Basin's source, and stronger community-led stewardship across it. It's a privilege to be part of this work."

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 Botswana, Angola and Namibia 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.

Images are available at: Press Kit

CONTACTS

National Geographic Society

Steph Miceli, Director, Strategic Communications:[email protected] or +1 617 943 9510 (mobile and whatsApp)

De Beers Group Press Office: [email protected]

ABOUT OKAVANGO ETERNAL

Okavango Eternal is a 10-year partnership between De Beers Group and the National Geographic Society, which helps support and accelerate the work of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project. Its purpose is to secure long-term protection of the Okavango River Basin and support conservation-linked livelihood opportunities in the Okavango Delta.

More details about Okavango Eternal are available at www.nationalgeographic.com/okavango-eternal and https://www.debeers.com/en-us/okavangoeternal.html.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 16,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

ABOUT DE BEERS GROUP

Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group recovers diamonds in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers London and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology services. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach to sustainability that underpins our efforts to create meaningful impact for the people and places where our diamonds are discovered. Building Forever focuses on three key areas where, through collaborations and partnerships around the globe, we have an enhanced ability to drive positive impact; Livelihoods, Climate and Nature. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.