Public Law 115–353: To promote inclusive economic growth through conservation and biodiversity programs that facilitate transboundary cooperation, improve natural resource management, and build local capacity to protect and preserve threatened wildlife species in the greater Okavango River Basin of southern Africa.

Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals Act

DELTA Act

The greater Okavango River Basin, which ranges from the highland plateau of Angola to northeastern Namibia and northern Botswana, and also provides critical natural resources that sustain wildlife in Zambia and Zimbabwe, is the largest freshwater watershed in southern Africa.

The greater Okavango River Basin is the main source of water and livelihoods for over 1 million people, and the effective management and protection of this critical watershed will help advance important conservation and economic growth objectives for Angola, Botswana, Namibia, local communities, and the broader region.

The greater Okavango River Basin is home to the largest remaining elephant population in the world, as well as other threatened wildlife species.

Poaching and trafficking of threatened wildlife species in the greater Okavango River Basin has increased in recent years, and has the potential to undermine regional stability by disrupting local governance and management of resources, and supplanting key economic opportunities for community members.

Governments in the region have taken important steps to coordinate through existing conservation frameworks to combat trafficking, ensure responsible resource management, support local livelihoods, and protect threatened wildlife species.

The Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall seek, as appropriate, to work with the Governments of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and neighboring countries, and in partnership with donors, regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, local communities, and the private sector, to develop a strategy to—

The strategy established pursuant to subsection (a) shall—

The Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, are authorized to prioritize and advance ongoing efforts to—

The Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall coordinate assistance provided by Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, and such other relevant Federal agencies with existing regional conservation frameworks in order to ensure regional integration of conservation, wildlife trafficking, and water management initiatives, to prevent duplication of efforts, and to advance regional conservation objectives.

The Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, are authorized to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to leverage public and private capital to promote responsible resource management, combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, and support inclusive economic growth and local livelihoods in the greater Okavango River Basin.

The Secretary and the Administrator shall establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, to include measurable goals, objectives, and benchmarks, to ensure the effective use of United States foreign assistance to achieve the objectives of this section.

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of this Act.

The report required under subsection (a) shall include a description of the strategy required by section 5, including—

The term “” means the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.

The term “” means—

The term “” means the Secretary of State.