Successful first Great Spine of Africa expedition to document and protect river that feeds the Zambezi led by Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative partner explorer Steve Boyes. Through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex is supporting Steve Boyes’ Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions, traversing thousands of kilometres of rivers that have never been scientifically documented. Over several years, the team plans to travel more than 40,000 km, equivalent to a journey around the planet. What it discovers will provide crucial information to protect the people and wildlife dependent on Africa’s great rivers.

Over 20 million people in southern Africa, and countless species of plants and animals, rely on the rushing waters of the Zambezi River. But much of its winding journey, from its marshy origins to the salt waters of the Indian Ocean, remains unknown to science. Learning more about its sources and unique ecosystems will help scientists and local communities to protect these areas and the Zambezi River into the future, building resilience against climate change.

LUNGWEVUNGU EXPEDITION
Renowned South African conservationist Steve Boyes and a team from the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP) were named Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2019. Boyes first ventured into the south-eastern highlands of Angola with the NGOWP, working alongside community members and a multidisciplinary team. During that first expedition, they documented and discovered the importance of what they call the “Okavango-Zambezi Water Tower”, elevated areas of forest and peatlands with high rainfall. The peatlands act as sponges that feed the rivers, even during drier periods. These ecosystems may be critical as temperatures continue to rise and weather patterns change, but they are not easy terrains to navigate. 

“WE DISCOVERED THESE VAST PEATLANDS THAT HAVE INCREDIBLE WATER STORAGE CAPACITY. LONG PERIODS OF DROUGHT ARE GOING TO COME WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS IS THE BUFFER. IT IS THE LIFELINE.”
Steve Boyes, founder of the Great Spine of Africa expeditions

His latest initiative, the Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions, began in mid-2022 and builds upon this first NGOWP expedition, to develop these expeditions along the continent’s main rivers with the goal of better understanding and protecting Africa’s crucial waterways.

BASELINE RIVER HEALTH
The first Great Spine of Africa expedition explored the remote Angolan highlands where the Lungwevungu River originates. Boyes and his team believe this tributary of the Zambezi could prove to be its source, an important factor when determining threats to the river.

The team paddled down the Lungwevungu River in traditional dugout canoes known as mekoro, loaded with scientific equipment. By collecting extensive records and data points, the team hope to create a comprehensive baseline of the river’s health and ecosystems.

Along their 900 km route, the researchers recorded human settlements and wildlife sightings. They gathered environmental DNA samples from the water and examined fish and aquatic invertebrates. The water itself was analysed through systematic measurements of the river’s structure, flow and water quality. This exhaustive research is beginning to yield exciting results.

“WE BELIEVE WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE LUNGWEVUNGU IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RIVER SOURCE FOR THE ZAMBEZI ITSELF.”
Steve Boyes

The team employed continuous surveying and detailed monitoring, documenting the habitats with photography and drone footage every 10 km. This rigorous baseline ensures that the work can be repeated at regular intervals in the future. Measuring change over time will be essential for the researchers to enact policy change with governments.

“WE BELIEVE THAT THE WATER THAT WE HAVE DOCUMENTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ANGOLA IS THE LARGEST EXPRESSION OF A WATER TOWER LIKE THIS IN THE WORLD. NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT AN ARCHIPELAGO OF THESE WATER TOWERS ALL THE WAY UP AFRICA. THERE IS A GENERATION OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE ON THESE RIVERS, ESTABLISHING BASELINES, SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT THEM PROPERLY.”
Steve Boyes

ABOUT THE PERPETUAL PLANET INITIATIVE
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers pushing back the boundaries of human endeavour. The company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet, committing for the long term to support individuals and organizations using science to understand and devise solutions to today’s environmental challenges.

This engagement was reinforced with the launch of the Perpetual Planet Initiative in 2019, which initially focused on individuals who contribute to a better world through the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, on safeguarding the oceans as part of an established association with Mission Blue, and on understanding climate change via its long-standing partnership with the National Geographic Society.

An expanding portfolio of other partnerships embraced by the Perpetual Planet Initiative now includes: Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen in their work as conservation photographers; Rewilding Argentina and Rewilding Chile, offspring organizations of Tompkins Conservation, which are protecting landscapes in South America; Coral Gardeners, transplanting resilient corals to reefs; Steve Boyes and the Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions, exploring the continent’s major river basins; the Under The Pole expeditions, pushing the boundaries of underwater exploration; the B.I.G expedition to the North Pole in 2023, gathering data on threats to the Arctic; and the Monaco Blue Initiative, bringing together ocean conservation experts.

Rolex also supports organizations and initiatives fostering the next generations of explorers, scientists and conservationists through scholarships and grants such as Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and The Rolex Explorers Club Grants.