This paper explores possibilities for achieving 'wise use’, defined as the sustainable utilization of resources of the Okavango Delta
system, within the framework of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The paper argues that while the Ramsar Convention’s wise use strategic plan forms an important basis for collective action toward sustainably managing the
Okavango River Basin as a whole, there are numerous barriers to success, the most important of which is the abiding behaviour of
the region’s state-makers in defense of sovereignty and pursuit of narrow national interest. In spite of this formidable barrier to success, the paper highlights a number of on-going multilateral activities that may serve to further the aims of wise use of the
Okavango River Basin system. It also provides a number of practical suggestions for furthering progressive frameworks of action. The paper is based on a close reading of published and unpublished written materials and the findings of a number of open-ended
interviews conducted with stakeholders active in the Okavango River Basin.