Save Okavango Delta • Amplification Toolkit

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Below are a few sample emails you can choose from to send to your email list subscribers on the day of action. Please feel free to modify them. If you would like also add a bit more about certain issues with ReconAfrica’s project in relation to the type of work your group/organization does, please do!

You can also find article links to include under the Background Information tab.

Sample email 1

[SUBJECT LINE] Save the Okavango Delta! Stop ReconAfrica, a Canadian fossil fuel company drilling in Namibia & Botswana

Hello [INSERT NAME],

Today is a day of action to stop Canadian fossil fuel company, ReconAfrica!

ReconAfrica is a Canadian-registered junior oil and gas company that has started exploratory drilling in Namibia in what they call the Kavango Basin. The Kavango Basin is a huge untouched oil formation that spans Namibia and Botswana, which ReconAfrica wants to open up.

Their petroleum exploration license areas, comprising of a license with Namibia and a license with Botswana, cover a

total of 34,325 square kilometres (8.5 million acres)⁠

in northeastern Namibia and northwestern Botswana. The license areas lie on top of part of the

Okavango River Basin⁠

(or the Cubango-Okavango River Basin) and along the Okavango River, upstream of the Okavango Delta.

The Okavango Delta is large inland delta in northwestern Botswana and is a world-famous hotspot of biodiversity, hosting 130 different species of mammals, 482 species of birds, 89 species of fish, 64 species of reptiles, and 1061 species of plants (

UNESCO⁠

). The Okavango Delta has been designated as both a

UNESCO World Heritage Site⁠

and a

Wetland of International Importance by The Ramsar Convention⁠

. It is

one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa⁠

and has been given the nickname the “jewel of the Kalahari”. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has said the Okavango Delta is

“a site of global importance for biological conservation and diversity.”⁠

Local activists and experts have raised a number of concerns about ReconAfrica’s operations and plans, including:

a failure to properly inform and consult with the local and Indigenous communities

a lack free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous communities in their license areas

fears of people being displaced to make way for drilling (there has already been

a case of land grabbing from local man and his family⁠

)

previous indications to investors of plans to use fracking

serious risks of contamination and depletion of the water in the already dry region and the water going into the Okavango Delta

negative impacts on the wildlife, including endangered species, by loud drilling noises, seismic testing, the loss and fragmentation of pristine ecosystems to drilling sites and roads, and any water contamination

the impact on eco-tourism industry by impacts on the wildlife and the sight of many drilling sites in the region

the effects of air and noise pollution on the people living near operations

the company raking in the vast majority of the profits

the general absence of corporate accountability from Canada for Canadian companies operating abroad

the overall huge impact the project will have in worsening climate breakdown

Local activists have been protesting for months, but we must also help bring attention to ReconAfrica on the world stage!

Here’s how you can help:

Check out this

action toolkit⁠

from Fridays For Future Digital.

Sign and share the

Rainforest Rescue petition⁠

Sign and share this

open letter⁠

Make a sign saying ‘Save The Okavango Delta’ and/or 'Stop ReconAfrica’ and take a photo holding your sign. Then post it on social media today using the hashtags #SaveOkavangoDelta and #StopReconAfrica

Check out these accounts on social media: Fridays For Future Windhoek (

Twitter⁠

Instagram⁠

Facebook⁠

) and Kavango Alive (

Twitter⁠

Instagram⁠

Facebook⁠

)

In solidarity,

[INSERT NAME]

Sample email 2

[SUBJECT LINE] Today: Stop ReconAfrica! #SaveOkavangoDelta

Hello [INSERT NAME],

Have you heard? Canadian fossil fuel company, ReconAfrica wants to drill for brand new fossil fuels in Namibia and Botswana!

Today is a day of action to raise awareness and stop them!

ReconAfrica is a Canadian-registered junior oil and gas company that has started petroleum exploration in northeast Namibia in what they call the Kavango Basin. The Kavango Basin is a huge untouched oil formation that spans Namibia and Botswana, which ReconAfrica wants to open up to make loads of money!

Their two petroleum exploration license areas, one license with the government of Namibia and one with the government of Botswana, cover a

total of 34,325 square kilometres (8.5 million acres)⁠

in northeast Namibia and northwest Botswana. The licensed areas encompass a part of the

Okavango River Basin⁠

(or the Cubango-Okavango River Basin) and border the Okavango River, both of which feed into the precious Okavango Delta.

The Okavango Delta is large inland delta in northwest Botswana and is a world- renowned hub of biodiversity, hosting 130 different species of mammals, 482 species of birds, 89 species of fish, 64 species of reptiles, and 1061 species of plants (

UNESCO⁠

). The Okavango Delta has been designated as both a

UNESCO World Heritage Site⁠

and a

Wetland of International Importance by The Ramsar Convention⁠

. It is

one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa⁠

and has been given the nickname the “jewel of the Kalahari”. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has stated that the Okavango Delta is

“a site of global importance for biological conservation and diversity.”⁠

This irreplaceable ecosystem is now at risk because ReconAfrica wants to profit!

There have been many concerns raised about ReconAfrica’s operations and plans, including:

a failure to properly inform and consult with the local and Indigenous communities

a lack free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous communities in their license areas

fears of displacement to make way for drilling (there has already been

a case of land grabbing from local man and his family⁠

)

previous indications to investors of plans to use fracking

serious risks of contamination and depletion of the water in the already arid region and the water going into the Okavango Delta

wildlife, including many threatened and endangered species, being affected by loud drilling noises, seismic testing, the loss and fragmentation of pristine habitats to drilling sites and roads, and any water contamination

the impact on eco-tourism industry by the effects on wildlife and the sight of many drilling sites in the region

air and noise pollution from operations nearby

the general lack of accountability from Canada for Canadian companies operating in other countries

the company raking in the vast majority of the profits

the huge effect this project will have in worsening climate breakdown

Based on ReconAfrica’s advertised “conservative” estimate of

120 billion barrels of oil equivalent⁠

in the Kavango Basin, Fridays for Future Windhoek has calculated that this could release

up to 51.6 Gigatonnes of CO2⁠

, equivalent to around one sixth of our planet’s already rapidly disappearing carbon budget!

The region in which they are currently exploring and planning to extract will be one of the most affected places by the climate crisis. Namibia, specifically, is already

the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa⁠

and therefore is especially vulnerable to water insecurity. In fact, in 2019 the Namibian government had to

declare a state of emergency due to drought⁠

. The 2018

IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C⁠

has said that southern Africa is “projected to be a climate change hotspot in terms of both hot extremes and drying” and that temperatures have been increasing in the region “at approximately twice the global rate over the last five decades” (chapter 3, p. 260). ReconAfrica plans to worsens the already dire climate crisis to in order to make money, and we cannot afford to let that happen,

This is why I am asking you to participate in today’s online action to stop ReconAfrica.

Local activists have been protesting for months, but we must also help bring attention to ReconAfrica on the world stage!

Here’s what you can do to help today!

Check out this

action toolkit⁠

from Fridays For Future Digital. Feel free to share with people you know!

Sign and share this

Rainforest Rescue petition⁠

Sign and share this

open letter⁠

Check out these accounts on social media: Fridays For Future Windhoek (

Twitter⁠

Instagram⁠

Facebook⁠

) and Kavango Alive (

Twitter⁠

Instagram⁠

Facebook⁠

)

We must fight to keep our planet’s people, waters, biodiversity, and climate safe!

In solidarity,

[INSERT NAME]

Sample email 3

[SUBJECT LINE] TODAY: Save the Okavango Delta! Stop ReconAfrica, the Canadian fossil fuel company drilling in Kavango

Hello [INSERT NAME],

Today is a day of action to stop Canadian fossil fuel company, ReconAfrica!

ReconAfrica is a Canadian-registered junior oil and gas company that wants to drill for oil in Namibia and Botswana, in a sedimentary basin they call the “Kavango Basin”. They are currently doing oil exploration in northeastern Namibia and

announced last month⁠

that they have found a “working petroleum system”.

Their two license areas, one in Namibia and one in Botswana, lie on top of part of the

Okavango River Basin⁠

(or the Cubango-Okavango River Basin) and go along the Okavango River, upstream of the Okavango Delta. The Okavango Delta is world-renowned haven for biodiversity and is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site⁠

, a

Ramsar Convention Wetland of International Importance⁠

, and one of the

Seven Natural Wonders of Africa⁠

Local activists and experts have raised a lot of concerns about ReconAfrica’s plans and operations, including;

a lack of adequate consultation with the local and Indigenous communities

a lack free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous communities in their license areas

fears of displacement to make way for drilling (there has already been

a case of land grabbing from local man and his family⁠

)

previous indications to investors of plans to use fracking (though the company now denies this)

serious risks of contamination and depletion of the water in the already arid region and the water going into the Okavango Delta

the impact on eco-tourism industry by impacts on the wildlife and the sight of many drilling sites in the region

the effects of air and noise pollution on the people living nearby

Canada’s general lack of corporate accountability for Canadian companies operating outside Canada

ReconAfrica getting the vast majority of the profit

the massive effect this project will have in worsening the climate crisis.

Local activists have been protesting for months! We have a responsibility to help them bring the world’s attention to ReconAfrica and save the beautiful Okavango Delta!

Here’s what you can do to help today!

Check out this

action toolkit⁠

from Fridays For Future Digital and share it with people you know!

Sign and share the

Rainforest Rescue petition⁠

Sign and share this

open letter⁠

Check out these accounts on social media: Fridays For Future Windhoek (

Twitter⁠

Instagram⁠

Facebook⁠

) and Kavango Alive (

Twitter⁠

Instagram⁠

Facebook⁠

)

We must stop ReconAfrica and save the precious Okavango Delta!

Solidarity always,

[INSERT NAME]

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