115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4819 
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 Representa-
tives 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 mil-
lion people, and the effective management and pro-
tection of this critical watershed will help advance 
important conservation and economic growth objec-
tives for Angola, Botswana, Namibia, local commu-
nities, 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 wild-
life species in the greater Okavango River Basin has 
increased in recent years, and has the potential to 
undermine regional stability by disrupting local gov-
ernance and management of resources, and sup-
planting key economic opportunities for community 
members. 
(5) Governments in the region have taken im-
portant steps to coordinate through existing con-
servation frameworks to combat trafficking, ensure 
responsible resource management, support local live-
lihoods, 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 neigh-
boring countries, and in partnership with donors, regional 
organizations, nongovernmental organizations, local com-
munities, and the private sector, to advance conservation 
efforts and promote economic growth and stability in the 
greater Okavango River Basin and neighboring water-
sheds and conservation areas. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States to promote inclu-
sive economic growth through conservation and biodiver-
sity 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 Adminis-
trator, 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, re-
gional 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 ele-
phants 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 An-
gola, 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, Bot-
swana, or Namibia, including within regional and 
national parks and reserves, by building the capacity 
of the governments of such countries, local law en-
forcement, community leaders, and park rangers to 
detect, disrupt, and prosecute poachers and traf-
fickers; 
(4) promote conservation as a foundation for 
inclusive economic growth and development within a 
comprehensive assistance strategy that places An-
gola, Botswana, and Namibia on a trajectory toward 
graduation from the need for United States foreign 
assistance;
(5) identify opportunities and mechanisms to le-
verage regional organizations, nongovernmental or-
ganizations, and public-private partnerships to con-
tribute to support the implementation of the strat-
egy; 
(6) establish monitoring and evaluation mecha-
nisms, including measurable goals, objectives, and 
benchmarks of success, that are included in grants, 
contracts, and cooperative agreements to ensure the 
effective use of United States foreign assistance; and 
(7) coordinate with and build the capacity of re-
gional conservation frameworks in order to advance 
regional conservation objectives. 
SEC. 6. UNITED STATES SUPPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Adminis-
trator, 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 de-
velopment through responsible water and natural re-
source 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 man-
agement 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 RE-
GIONAL CONSERVATION FRAMEWORKS.—The Secretary 
and the Administrator, in coordination with the heads of 
other relevant Federal agencies, shall coordinate assist-
ance provided by Department of State, the United States 
Agency for International Development, and such other rel-
evant Federal agencies with existing regional conservation 
frameworks in order to ensure regional integration of con-
servation, wildlife trafficking, and water management ini-
tiatives, 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 orga-
nizations to leverage public and private capital to promote 
responsible resource management, combat wildlife poach-
ing 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 eval-
uation mechanisms, to include measurable goals, objec-
tives, 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 rel-
evant Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on the implementation 
of this Act. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired under subsection (a) shall include a description of 
the strategy required by section 5, including— 
(1) the monitoring and evaluation plans and in-
dicators used to measure performance under the 
strategy; 
(2) any legislative impediments to meeting the 
objectives of such strategy; 
(3) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and 
Namibia have demonstrated a commitment and will-
ingness to cooperate to advance efforts described in 
section 5(b);
(4) progress made to date in meeting the objec-
tives of such strategy; 
(5) efforts to coordinate, deconflict, and stream-
line conservation programs in order to maximize re-
source effectiveness; 
(6) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and 
Namibia and other government in the region are in-
vesting 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 Na-
mibia, have been identified to advance conservation 
initiatives. 
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development. 
(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ 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. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 17, 2018. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4819 
AN ACT 
To promote inclusive economic growth through con-
servation and biodiversity programs that facili-
tate 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.