Botswana: The death of the delta?

The Okavango Delta is a creature of extraordinary subtlety with roots deep in Africa. In summer, tropical storms rumble and flash across the high Bei Plateau from Huambo to Cuito Cuanavale. Water pours off steep slopes, gathering sand, leeching salts from the sodden Earth, and picking up speed as it gutters down long, straight valleys. As you read this, engineers, politicians, and ecologists are pondering a dam that could lead to the death of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Southern Africa.