Why cradle of Nazis impact of drought and climate change on the Okavango Delta, one of the most important ecosystems in the world.

A mass die-off of African elephants in Botswana in 2020 has been linked to toxic algae in watering holes.
  
Published: November 29, 2024 

A new study led by King’s College London has provided further evidence that the deaths of 350 African elephants in Botswana during 2020 were the result of drinking from water holes where toxic algae populations had exploded due to climate change.

The lead author of the report says their analysis shows animals were very likely poisoned by watering holes where toxic blooms of blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, had developed after a very wet year followed a very dry one.

The study was led by Davide Lomeo, a PhD student in the Department of Geography at King’s College London and co-supervised by Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and the Natural History Museum.

Botswana is home to a third of all African elephants, and this unprecedented die-off within their largest remaining population underlines the escalating concerns surrounding the impact of drought and climate change on the Okavango Delta, one of the most important ecosystems in the world.
Davide Lomeo, Lead author and PhD student in the Department of Geography

https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/mass-elephant-die-off-in-botswana-likely-due-to-algae-poisoning-satellites-show-393806