H. R. 4819 

One Hundred Fifteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and eighteen 

An Act 

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. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defending Economic Livelihoods 

and Threatened Animals Act’’ or the ‘‘DELTA Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) 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. 

(2) 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. 

(3) The greater Okavango River Basin is home to the 

largest remaining elephant population in the world, as well 

as other threatened wildlife species. 

(4) 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. 

(5) 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. 

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

It is the sense of Congress that it is in the interest of the 

United States to engage, as appropriate, 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 advance 
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conservation efforts and promote economic growth and stability 

in the greater Okavango River Basin and neighboring watersheds 

and conservation areas. 

SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

It is the policy of the United States to promote inclusive economic growth through conservation and biodiversity programs that 

facilitate transboundary cooperation, improve water and natural 

resource management, and build local capacity to protect and preserve threatened wildlife species in the greater Okavango River 

Basin and neighboring watersheds and conservation areas. 

SEC. 5. STRATEGY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—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— 

(1) create and advance a cooperative framework to promote 

responsible natural resource, water, and wildlife management 

practices in the greater Okavango River Basin; 

(2) protect traditional migration routes of elephants and 

other threatened wildlife species; 

(3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking; 

(4) address human health and development needs of local 

communities; and 

(5) catalyze economic growth in such countries and across 

the broader region. 

(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy established pursuant to subsection (a) shall— 

(1) promote cooperative and responsible water, natural 

resource, and wildlife management policies and practices within 

and among the countries of Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, 

with a particular focus on the greater Okavango River Basin 

and the critical headwaters located in Angola; 

(2) protect and restore wildlife habitats and traditional 

migratory patterns of elephants and other threatened species; 

(3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking in Angola, 

Botswana, Namibia, and those areas of Zambia and Zimbabwe 

that border Angola, Botswana, or Namibia, including within 

regional and national parks and reserves, by building the 

capacity of the governments of such countries, local law enforcement, community leaders, and park rangers to detect, disrupt, 

and prosecute poachers and traffickers; 

(4) promote conservation as a foundation for inclusive economic growth and development within a comprehensive assistance strategy that places Angola, Botswana, and Namibia on 

a trajectory toward graduation from the need for United States 

foreign assistance; 

(5) identify opportunities and mechanisms to leverage 

regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and 

public-private partnerships to contribute to support the 

implementation of the strategy; 

(6) establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, 

including measurable goals, objectives, and benchmarks of success, that are included in grants, contracts, and cooperative 
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agreements to ensure the effective use of United States foreign 

assistance; and 

(7) coordinate with and build the capacity of regional conservation frameworks in order to advance regional conservation 

objectives. 

SEC. 6. UNITED STATES SUPPORT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Administrator, in 

coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, 

are authorized to prioritize and advance ongoing efforts to— 

(1) promote inclusive economic growth and development 

through responsible water and natural resource management 

and wildlife protection activities in the greater Okavango River 

Basin; 

(2) provide technical assistance to governments and local 

communities in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to create a 

policy-enabling environment for such responsible water and 

natural resource management and wildlife protection activities; 

and 

(3) build the capacity of local law enforcement, park 

rangers, and community leaders to combat wildlife poaching 

and trafficking. 

(b) COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION WITH REGIONAL CON- SERVATION FRAMEWORKS.—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. 

(c) COORDINATION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR.—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. 

(d) MONITORING AND EVALUATION.—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. 

SEC. 7. REPORT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—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. 

(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report required under 

subsection (a) shall include a description of the strategy required 

by section 5, including— 

(1) the monitoring and evaluation plans and indicators 

used to measure performance under the strategy; 

(2) any legislative impediments to meeting the objectives 

of such strategy; 
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(3) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and Namibia 

have demonstrated a commitment and willingness to cooperate 

to advance efforts described in section 5(b); 

(4) progress made to date in meeting the objectives of 

such strategy; 

(5) efforts to coordinate, deconflict, and streamline conservation programs in order to maximize resource effectiveness; 

(6) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and Namibia 

and other government in the region are investing resources 

to advance conservation initiatives; and 

(7) the extent to which other funding sources, including 

through private sector investment and other investment by 

Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, have been identified to 

advance conservation initiatives. 

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the 

Administrator of the United States Agency for International 

Development. 

(2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 

‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means— 

(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; 

and 

(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

of State. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.