ReconAfrica believes the Kavango Basin in Namibia and Botswana could generate billions of barrels of oil, but environmentalists and Indigenous leaders want the area to remain untouched. The Okavango delta – a World Heritage site recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – is also pivotal to the water supply for the Kalahari Desert, and its unique ecosystems draw large numbers of tourists eager to explore its biodiversity each year. The region holds sacred meaning for the San, an Indigenous group that is considered one of the original inhabitants of the Southern African region. In January, Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) started drilling on the first of three wells, stating on its website that the firm “believes the Kavango Basin is another world class Permian basin, analogous to the Permian basin in Texas”, capable of generating billions of barrels of oil. The drilling of the boreholes for oil exploration can threaten the ecosystem through potential oil spillage, noise pollution and water contamination, said Jan Arkert, a South African-based engineering geologist with the firm Africa Exposed Consulting Engineering Geologists.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
More Stories
Economic Perks of Growing Cycling Culture in North Africa
The Bank of Uganda Lowers Limits on the Value of Cheque Payments to Promote e-payments
Four Industrial Policy Regimes that have Shaped Africa
Ex Standard Bank Leader Cleared in Mozambique Price Fixing
Zanzibar and Pemba are about to Become a Test Site for a Mobile Internet Network
East Africa’s Mineral Deposits at the Centre of Future-facing Commodities
A Scramble for Controlling Interest in Nigeria’s Oldest Bank
Top Risks Facing South Africa
New Scheme to Save Zimbabwe’s Botched Land Reform
The First Floating LNG Facility is Deployed in the Deep Waters of the African Continent
The EU Lifts Air Travel Bans on Southern African States
Senegal’s Illustrious Portfolio of Architecture