,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #caif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #aa1     
#bjah,mr4 ,portman 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,udall1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1  
and ,mr4 ,burr7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,foreign          
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to defend       
economic livelihoods and threatened     
animals in the greater ,okavango ,river 
,basin1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,defending ,economic ,livelihoods   
and ,threatened ,animals ,act or the    
,,delta ,act4  #b4 ,definitions ,in this
 ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term    
,administrator means the ,administrator 
of the ,united ,states ,agency for      
,international ,development4  7#b7      
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,foreign ,relations and the          
,committee on ,appropriations of the    

,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on    
,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives4  7#c7 ,kavango        
,zambezi ,transfrontier ,conservation   
,area ,the ,kavango ,zambezi            
,transfrontier ,conservation ,area1 7in 
this ,act referred to as ,,kaza7 is the 
world's largest transboundary           
conservation area and was established by
 treaty by the five partner states of   
,angola1 ,botswana1 ,namibia1 ,zambia1  
and ,zimbabwe for the primary purpose of
 harmonizing policies1 strategies1 and  
practices for managing shared natural   
resources across international borders  
and deriving equitable socio-economic   
benefits through the sustainable use and
 development of their natural and       
cultural heritage resources1 including  
wildlife4  7#d7 ,secretary ,the term    
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,state4  #c4 ,findings ,congress makes  
the following findings3  7#a7 ,the      
greater ,okavango ,river ,basin1 which  

ranges from the highland plateau of     
,angola to northeastern ,namibia and    
northern ,botswana1 is the largest      
freshwater watershed in southern        
,africa4  7#b7 ,the greater ,okavango   
,river ,basin is home to over #a1jjj1jjj
 people and is critical to the survival 
of several species of the world's most  
endangered large mammals1 including     
serving as a core habitat for the       
world's largest elephant population4    
7#c7 ,poaching and trafficking of       
threatened wildlife species in the      
greater ,okavango ,river ,basin and     
adjacent areas within ,,kaza have       
increased in recent years4  7#d7        
,governments in the region have taken   
important steps to coordinate through   
existing conservation frameworks to     
combat wildlife trafficking1 ensure     
responsible resource management1 support
 local livelihoods1 and protect         
threatened wildlife species4  #d4 ,sense
 of congress ,it is the sense of        
,congress that it is in the interest of 

the ,united ,states to engage1 as       
appropriate1 with the ,governments of   
,angola1 ,botswana1 ,namibia1 and       
neighboring countries1 and in           
partnership with donors1 regional       
organizations1 nongovernmental          
organizations1 local communities1 and   
the private sector1 to advance          
conservation efforts and promote        
economic growth and stability in the    
greater ,okavango ,river ,basin and     
neighboring watersheds and conservation 
areas4  #e4 ,statement of policy ,it is 
the policy of the ,united ,states to    
promote inclusive economic growth       
through conservation and biodiversity   
programs that facilitate transboundary  
cooperation1 improve water and natural  
resource management1 and build local    
capacity to protect and preserve        
threatened wildlife species in the      
greater ,okavango ,river ,basin and     
neighboring watersheds and conservation 
areas within ,,kaza4  #f4 ,strategy  7a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary and the    

,administrator1 in coordination with the
 heads of other relevant ,federal       
agencies1 shall seek1 as appropriate1 to
 work with the ,governments of ,angola1 
,botswana1 ,namibia1 and neighboring    
countries1 and in partnership with      
donors1 regional organizations1         
nongovernmental organizations1 local    
communities1 and the private sector1 to 
develop a strategy to--  7#a7 create and
 advance a cooperative framework to     
promote sustainable natural resource1   
water1 protected area management and    
wildlife management practices in the    
greater ,okavango ,river ,basin2  7#b7  
protect traditional migration routes of 
elephants and other threatened wildlife 
species2  7#c7 combat wildlife poaching 
and trafficking2  7#d7 address human    
health and development needs of local   
communities2 and  7#e7 catalyze economic
 growth in such countries and across the
 broader region4  7b7 ,elements ,the    
strategy established pursuant to        
subsection 7a7 shall-- 7#a7 promote     

cooperative and sustainable water1      
natural resource1 protected area        
management1 and wildlife management     
policies and practices within and among 
the countries of ,angola1 ,botswana1 and
 ,namibia1 with a particular focus on   
the greater ,okavango ,river ,basin and 
the critical headwaters located in      
,angola2  7#b7 protect and restore      
wildlife habitats and traditional       
migratory patterns of elephants and     
other threatened species2  7#c7 combat  
wildlife poaching and trafficking in    
,angola1 ,botswana1 ,namibia1 and       
adjacent areas within ,,kaza1 including 
within regional and national parks and  
reserves1 by building the capacity of   
the governments of such countries1 local
 law enforcement1 community leaders1 and
 park rangers to detect1 disrupt1 and   
prosecute poachers and traffickers2     
7#d7 identify opportunities and         
mechanisms to leverage regional         
organizations1 nongovernmental          
organizations1 and public-private       

partnerships to contribute to support   
the implementation of the strategy2     
7#e7 establish monitoring and evaluation
 mechanisms1 including measurable goals1
 objectives1 and benchmarks of success1 
that are included in grants1 contracts1 
and cooperative agreements to ensure the
 effective use of ,united ,states       
foreign assistance2 and  7#f7 coordinate
 with and build the capacity of regional
 conservation frameworks in order to    
advance regional conservation           
objectives4  #g4 ,united ,states support
  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary and   
the ,administrator1 in coordination with
 the heads of other relevant ,federal   
agencies1 are authorized to prioritize  
and advance ongoing efforts to--  7#a7  
promote inclusive economic growth and   
development through responsible water   
and natural resource management1        
protected area management1 and wildlife 
protection activities in the greater    
,okavango ,river ,basin and ,,kaza2     
7#b7 provide technical assistance to    

governments and local communities in    
,angola1 ,botswana1 and ,namibia and    
neighboring countries to create a       
policy-enabling environment for such    
responsible water and natural resource  
management1 protected area management1  
and wildlife protection activities2 and 
7#c7 build the capacity of local law    
enforcement1 park rangers1 and community
 leaders to combat wildlife poaching and
 trafficking4  7b7 ,coordination and    
integration with regional conservation  
frameworks ,the ,secretary and the      
,administrator1 in coordination with the
 heads of other relevant ,federal       
agencies1 shall coordinate assistance   
provided by the ,department of ,state1  
the ,united ,states ,agency for         
,international ,development1 and other  
relevant ,federal agencies with existing
 regional conservation frameworks in    
order to ensure regional integration of 
conservation1 wildlife trafficking1 and 
water management initiatives1 to prevent
 duplication of efforts1 and to advance 

regional conservation objectives4  7c7  
,coordination with private sector ,the  
,secretary and the ,administrator1 in   
coordination with the heads of other    
relevant ,federal agencies1 are         
authorized to work with the private     
sector and nongovernmental organizations
 to leverage public and private capital 
to promote sustainable resource         
management1 combat wildlife poaching and
 trafficking1 and support inclusive     
economic growth and local livelihoods in
 the greater ,okavango ,river ,basin and
 ,,kaza4  7d7 ,monitoring and evaluation
 ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator 
shall establish monitoring and          
evaluation mechanisms1 including        
measurable goals1 objectives1 and       
benchmarks1 to ensure the effective use 
of ,united ,states foreign assistance to
 achieve the objectives of this section4
  #h4 ,report  7a7 ,in general ,not     
later than #c years after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary and the ,administrator1 in   

coordination with the heads of other    
relevant ,federal agencies1 shall submit
 to the appropriate congressional       
committees a report on the              
implementation of this ,act4  7b7       
,matters ,to be included ,the report    
required under subsection 7a7 shall     
include a description of the strategy   
required under section #f1 including--  
7#a7 the monitoring and evaluation plans
 and indicators used to measure         
performance under the strategy2  7#b7   
any legislative impediments to meeting  
the objectives of such strategy2  7#c7  
the extent to which the ,governments of 
,angola1 ,botswana1 ,namibia1 and       
neighboring countries have demonstrated 
a commitment and willingness to         
cooperate to advance efforts described  
in section #f7;b72  7#d7 progress made  
to date in meeting the objectives of    
such strategy2  7#e7 efforts to         
coordinate1 deconflict1 and streamline  
conservation programs in order to       
maximize resource effectiveness2  7#f7  

the extent to which the ,governments of 
,angola1 ,botswana1 and ,namibia and    
other governments in the region are     
investing resources to advance          
conservation initiatives2 and  7#g7 the 
extent to which other funding sources1  
including through private sector        
investment and other investment by the  
,governments of ,angola1 ,botswana1 and 
,namibia and neighboring countries have 
been identified to advance conservation 
initiatives4