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UN PhotoUNEP / BOSTWANA SLATY EGRET WATERBIRD
STORY: UNEP / BOSTWANA SLATY EGRET WATERBIRD
TRT: 05:10
SOURCE: UNEP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 02 SEPTEMBER 2026, OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA / FILE
1. Various shots, Okavango Delta, Botswana
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sergey Dereliev, Executive Officer, AEWA:
“The slaty egret is a long-legged wading bird which is endemic to southern Africa, and its uniqueness lies in the fact that it's only possible to see this bird in the Okavango Delta and some adjacent floodplains in the Okavango and Zambezi river basins.”
3. Various shots, slaty egret habitat and wetland vegetation
4. Various shots, Jeffrey Barbee and Jay Haikera travelling by mokoro and searching for the slaty egret
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Monei Onalethatai, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana:
“The slaty egret is so sensitive to environmental disturbances and to ecosystem changes. Therefore, whatever happens in the ecosystem will necessarily reflect in the distribution and the presence of the bird. Therefore, that's why it's one of the most important indicators of ecosystem change.”
6. Various shots, community members, young birdwatchers and conservation activities
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Monei Onalethata, Senior Wildlife Biologist, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana:
“This government of Botswana is partnering with several partners, in the form of private people, in the form NGOs, in the form communities and other partners in conservation projects, like the safari industry.”
8. Various shots, the Delta and community members travelling through wetlands
9. Various shots, slaty egret habitat and other waterbirds
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sergey Dereliev, Executive Officer, AEWA:
“Therefore, the community involvement sometimes is an extremely efficient on the ground tool. However, it only works best in the context of a broader conservation strategy where you have regional intergovernmental cooperation. ///[The African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement] aims to bring together governments across the African-Eurasian flyways and ensure that they work together and collaborate to protect migratory waterbirds.”
11. Various shots, the nesting survey, researchers approaching the nesting area and observing birds from a distance
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Sergey Dereliev, Executive Officer, AEWA:
“The European Union supports conservation of migratory waterbirds in Africa primarily through biodiversity and development financial mechanisms. Even if the EU and Botswana are half a world apart, this support actually recognizes that preserving species such as the slaty egret, is actually an investment in the broader context of sustainable development. Considering that the slaty egret is an indicator species for the health of the environment of not only of the Okavango Delta, but of the entire southern African region. The impact of the European Union, through the funding that they provide is not only on the individual species per se, but on its environment, which also acts as a strong mitigation measure to climate change. Therefore, it has a significant global impact.”
13. Various shots, Sunrise over the Okavango Delta
Botswana’s Okavango Delta is home to the vulnerable Slaty Egret, a rare waterbird whose presence and breeding success can provide important indications about the health of one of Africa’s most significant wetland ecosystems.
Government, conservationists and community are working to improve understanding of the species following years of limited population data. The bird’s sensitivity to environmental change makes monitoring its numbers an important part of wider conservation efforts.
Local communities, researchers, government agencies and other partners play a vital role in protecting the Delta. But threats such as climate change and transboundary water management extend beyond local and national borders.
The Slaty Egret occurs across several southern African countries, making international cooperation essential. The African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) is supporting coordinated conservation action among countries across the bird’s range, including the development of a coordinated species action plan.
The European Union is supporting migratory waterbird conservation in Africa through biodiversity and development funding, helping strengthen efforts to protect species such as the Slaty Egret and the vital wetland ecosystems on which they depend.
