There's a crucial fight underway on the African continent.
One one side is the oil and gas company ReconAfrica and on the other side are the defenders of the third largest river in Africa. Here's what's going on …
One one side is the oil and gas company ReconAfrica and on the other side are the defenders of the third largest river in Africa. Here's what's going on …
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00:00RECON Africa is a typical example of extractive companies that come in Africa and risk life support systems.
00:08This is the story of the fight to protect one of the most pristine ecosystems on the African continent.
00:14On one side is the Canadian oil and gas company, RECON Africa, searching for fossil fuels to exploit.
00:20On the other side are the defenders of the Okavango Basin, the third largest river in Africa.
00:25So the Okavango is an ecological wonderland.
00:29It's a place to a diversity of species.
00:32What makes this river so unique is that after running through Namibia, instead of having an outlet in the sea,
00:37it forms a delta in the middle of the desert in Botswana.
00:40It's been a lifeline for wildlife, including for elephants, lions and hundreds of species of birds and fish.
00:45Its delta is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
00:49Okavango supports livelihoods of about two million people in both Namibia, Angola and Botswana.
00:56Since 2021, the Canadian company, RECON Africa, has been drilling extensively in the region in search of gas and oil.
01:03We cannot risk our pristine environment being destroyed as it has been supporting us for generations.
01:09I mean, I'm speaking about our last remaining large head of savannah, African elephants, indigenous species like the black spotted hyena.
01:19And of course, our same communities, which are already fragile and very marginalized.
01:24And many other best species that are found in an area.
01:27So that's why we say RECON Africa must be stopped.
01:32The company has obtained permits to explore eight million acres, an area about the size of Maryland,
01:37spanning across Namibia and Botswana in the hopes of finding fossil fuels.
01:42RECON Africa has drilled about three wells, exploratory wells in conservancy areas.
01:49They have bulldozed roads in conservancy forests.
01:53They've just bulldozed a road in a seasonal river called the Omatako, and that flows directly and feeds the delta.
02:02So any slight pollutants that ends up in those water sources will really have a negative implication on the people's livelihoods.
02:10And of course, on the indigenous animals that are found in that area.
02:13RECON Africa claims that it applies rigorous safety and environmental protection standards.
02:18And that it protects the water through regular monitoring and reporting on hydrological data to the appropriate water authorities.
02:25And as a young person and an environmental activist myself, I can really not let those life ecosystems be risked by greed and profit.
02:35In an attempt to stop this project, opponents have organized protests, waged a legal battle and launched an international campaign.
02:42They have even convinced celebrities such as Prince Harry and Leonardo DiCaprio to publicly condemn it.
02:48I have a lot of hope in my heart that, of course, we will stop them in our tracks, because I believe in the power of voices that comes together, not only locally, but internationally.
02:59For now, the company has not yet moved from exploration to exploitation of the land.
03:04Environmental Commissioner has just granted an extension for them to keep on exploring for the next until 2025.
03:12And local communities are now calling on the Minister of Environment and our local government to stop this.
03:19It's really time to stop fossil fuel industries and to put an end to extractive companies that come to Africa and risk the future of Africa.
03:27Because what we need is alternative and sustainable ways of living.
03:31Oil must remain in the ground because oil is threatening our ability to survive in the future.
03:41For more UN videos visit www.un.org