Angola names first Ramsar wetland protecting Okavango source waters
Angola has designated its first Wetland of International Importance, Lisima Lya Mwono, on 14 January 2026 in partnership with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Located in the country’s central and southeastern highlands, the site spans nearly 53,670 km² and contains the Angolan Highlands Water Tower, which supplies 95% of the Okavango Delta’s water – a critical lifeline for ecosystems and nature-based tourism across southern Africa.
The designation follows sustained work by the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project since 2015, whose research estimates the Water Tower holds 423 km³ of water and has mapped Africa’s second-largest peatland. Biodiversity surveys have documented 73 species new to academic science, at least 275 potentially new, and 300 not previously recorded in Angola. The status is expected to enhance protection, strengthen transboundary water cooperation among Angola, Namibia and Botswana, and create livelihood opportunities in wetland management – supporting conservation, wildlife populations and the long-term appeal of the Okavango region for tourism.
Source: National Geographic