Abstract:

The Okavango Delta, in northwest Botswana, 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. Land rights issues came out strongly during the inscription process of the Okavango Delta as World Heritage Site. With an influx of tourism operators in the delta, indigenous peoples and local communities were pushed out of their traditional territories to make way for wildlife management areas or concessions. Together with indigenous peoples’ organizations, the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee (IPACC) led successfully a consultation and mobilization process for the San to be recognized as the indigenous peoples of the Okavango Delta during its inscription of the delta as a Natural World Heritage Site.