The Cubango-Okavango River Basin (CORB) is one of the most important areas for biodiversity conservation in the world. It is a trans-boundary basin, covering approximately 700,000 square kilometers (an area larger than France), with a network of near-pristine river systems traversing through Angola, Botswana, and Namibia.

Thousands of species of plants and animals thrive in the CORB because of its low human population density, numerous habitat types, and intact ecosystems. Moreover, the rich biodiversity, land and water resources of the CORB, in particular its wetlands, channels, riparian woodlands and adjacent dryland woodlands, form the basis of critical ecosystem services that underpin the socio-economic development and livelihoods of some one million people living in rural and urban communities within the Basin, as well as for millions more people living downstream.

Major changes to the CORB are imminent, and the way in which infrastructure is developed will have a lasting impact on the health of the rivers, the Okavango Delta (the best-known feature of the CORB – one of the largest and most unspoiled wetlands anywhere), and the people who depend on the Basin’s natural resources. Continued forest loss, curtailment of the seasonal flood pulse and reductions in the area of seasonally flooded wetlands threaten the whole system.

Fortunately, The Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission’s (OKACOM) Member States (Angola, Botswana and Namibia) recognize that poverty and environmental degradation are inextricably linked, and that well planned development and sustainable land use practices will protect critical natural resources and enhance the livelihoods and wellbeing of the people who directly depend on the CORB’s natural resources and the ecological services they supply.

Last year, I worked with a dedicated team from The Nature Conservancy, the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF), and OKACOM to prepare The Cubango-Okavango River Basin Fund Value Proposition. This Value Proposition presents the economic value of undertaking interventions through the CORB Fund, a novel and ambitious multi-country initiative established to enhance livelihoods and conservation in the CORB. It assesses two distinct development scenarios. A Business-as-Usual Development Scenario would lead to environmental degradation and persistent poverty, while the Resilient Development Scenario would address ecological threats, protect natural resources and biodiversity, and provide socio-economic benefits to the people who depend on this unique ecosystem.

The CORB Fund Value Proposition demonstrates that modest investments, catalyzed by the CORB Fund, in lower-impact, ecological infrastructure, sustainable tourism and rural livelihood development, along with traditional, well-sited, conventional infrastructure would generate significant, equitable impacts and economic benefits across Angola, Namibia and Botswana. The economic value of increased resilience and decreased threats made possible by targeted funding through the CORB Fund and other Resilient Development Scenario interventions is estimated to exceed USD 2.1 billion. This translates into a projected benefit–cost ratio of almost 7-to-1, meaning that for every USD 1 spent on Resilient Development interventions, an estimated USD 7 worth of benefits are generated for Basin beneficiaries.

The CORB Fund’s success is essential for the conservation of the Cubango-Okavango River Basin, a global treasure and one of the largest remaining, near-pristine river basins on Earth. Securing investments from development partners that share the CORB Fund’s vision would give the Fund the resources it needs to put the entire Basin on a more sustainable trajectory, ensuring the future of the ecosystem and the people and wildlife who call it home.