Celebrating ORI’s Postgraduate Success: Four PhDs and One MPhil

The Okavango Research Institute (ORI), University of Botswana, proudly celebrates the achievement of five postgraduate graduates: four Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates and one Master of Philosophy (MPhil) graduate.

These achievements represent an important milestone in the graduates’ academic and professional journeys. They also reflect the value of postgraduate education, research, and knowledge creation in addressing scientific, environmental, social, and developmental challenges in Botswana and beyond.

Congratulations to Our Graduates!

The ORI community celebrates this achievement and
congratulates all five graduates on their academic success. Their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to current postgraduate students and emerging researchers who are working towards their own academic and research goals.

As the ORI Library, we remain committed to supporting research and lifelong learning, preserving scholarly knowledge, and facilitating access to information that contributes to the advancement of research at the University of Botswana.

Congratulations to the four PhD graduates and one MPhil graduate. We wish you every success in the next chapter of your academic and professional journeys!

Australian Young Scientists Explored the Okavango Delta

A group of Australian university students visited the Okavango Delta as part of a multinational partnership designed to inspire the next generation of conservationists, ecologists, and wildlife managers.

The visit highlights the importance of international collaboration in environmental learning, conservation, and the sustainable management of natural resources.

The visit was featured on ABC News. Watch the video on ABC News

The ORI Library encourages readers, students, and researchers to explore its resources on the Okavango Delta, ecology, biodiversity, and natural resource management.

Okavango Research Institute (ORI ) Vision by the Director

The University of Botswana is transitioning into a “High Performance Institution.” Its various faculties, departments, and institutes are energised by this ambition and are actively working toward realising the vision. The Okavango Research Institute (ORI), as a key research arm, is no exception.

ORI Director Dr Casper Bonyongo speaks about the institute’s future with a sense of optimism grounded in experience rather than speculation. He reflects on a pivotal moment in the history of the Okavango Delta.  

Read more: https://www.ub.bw/news/dr-bonyongo-champions-ori%E2%80%99s-vision-science-driven-okavango-basin

Deeper Trouble for the Okavango

By Gail C. Thomson & Mike Murray - Hudson

The Okavango Delta and its upstream catchment which is a home to hundreds of thousands of people are facing increasing danger. Although potential oil extraction in the region draws global attention, the ecosystem is being steadily weakened by numerous smaller, cumulative impacts. A recent report by John Mendelsohn for The Nature Conservancy shows that these pressures intensify each year.

Read More: https://conservationnamibia.com/articles/deeper-trouble-okavango-2025.php

Bibliometric analysis of Indigenous knowledge systems and climate change adaptation literature, 1993–2023

By Reniko Gondo

This study explores how Indigenous knowledge systems are being used to adapt to climate change by analysing over 500 research articles published between 1993 and 2023. The study identified major trends, regional differences, and growing interest in the role of Indigenous knowledge more especially in Africa. The research highlights innovative approaches, such as community-led projects and policy advocacy, and emphasises the importance of collaboration between traditional knowledge-holders, researchers, and policymakers to effectively tackle climate challenges.

Read more: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03400352251317716

Beware of potholes

Oluwatoyin Kolawole

Professor Toyin Kolawole uses the London Underground’s familiar warning, “Mind the gap,” to highlight how well-ordered societies take responsibility for public safety by ensuring infrastructure is properly maintained and by warning users only after safeguards are in place. In contrast, he argues that many African societies often shift responsibility onto citizens while failing to uphold their duties particularly in maintaining essential infrastructure.

Drawing from an experience traveling between Maun and Francistown in Botswana, Prof Kolawole criticizes the long-neglected, pothole-ridden roads marked with signs telling motorists to “Beware of potholes.” He questions why citizens must be warned about dangers that the authorities should have already addressed, noting the accidents and vehicle damage that result from neglected roads in the North-West District.

The professor concludes that while governance requires responsibility from everyone, authorities must fulfill their obligations, particularly road maintenance to make society safer and more functional. He calls on the department responsible for road maintenance to urgently repair the damaged roads.

Full Article Published in Botswana Guardian of Friday, 21 November 2025, p. 13.

A comparison of the 2023/24 El Niño with other El Niño events during 1981—2024 over the Okavango River Basin, southern Africa

The early 2024 drought in southern Africa, which was worsened by an El Niño, caused serious grain shortages in the region. The article  analyse rainfall and circulation anomalies for the 2023/24 El Niño and compare them with those for the other El Niño events during 1981–2024 over the Okavango River Basin (ORB), Southern Africa. 

By Oliver Moses, Olga L. Kupika, Wame, L. Hambira & Mangaliso Gondwe

Read more: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00704-025-05593-x