The Okavango Delta is highly unusual. The endpoint of a rather unique river, since it flows… into the Kalahari Desert.
\nHere, without water, there is no life.<\/p>\n
This water comes from annual rainfall over Botswana, rain falling on the Angolan highlands (where the Okavango rises), and rain falling across the river’s entire catchment basin. If rainfall is abundant (between December and March), the Okavango Delta’s water level will be high during the dry season, between June and September. Water that is vital at the height of the dry season.
\nThen, gradually, the water level will drop again, awaiting the new season. A natural cycle that normally runs like clockwork.<\/p>\n
But here, as elsewhere, climate disruption is being felt.
\nFor several consecutive years, rainfall was not sufficient to properly feed the delta.
\nThe year 2020 put an end to this shortfall, with a high level of precipitation that made up the deficit by pushing floodwaters beyond the permanent channels, feeding all the so-called \u201ctemporary\u201d channels that had been very dry for several years.<\/p>\n
Good news: annual rainfall this 2020\/2021 season has been exceptionally high, even compared to last year. So when the waters from Angola reach the Okavango Delta, the ground will already be saturated.
\nThe dry season promises to be particularly interesting, as all the channels will gradually fill up. Vegetation will be lusher, grasses more abundant and nourishing, and herbivores better fed and more numerous. Water-based activities (mokoro, flat-bottomed boat) will also run smoothly, so you can experience unforgettable moments in this corner of Africa, often regarded as a small paradise on earth.<\/p>\n