Residents of Kayengona in Kavango East are concerned about the way 'day visitors' behave at some sections of the river.
They are worried that if the situation persists, it could have irreversible consequences for the area's biodiversity.
This is Kayengona Beach. During weekends, especially in the summer, various day visitors gather here for a good time.
But after all the fun and games, the visitors often leave the area in a mess.
It then becomes the responsibility of the nearby locals to clean up.
One resident talks about how the place will look if the situation continues unabated.
"The place will be unbearable in this condition. Even the people who are here won't want to come here anymore because the place will be dirty. And they won't be able to spend time together. So my only suggestion is that we must be responsible citizens," says Antonio Celestino, a resident of Kayengona.
Daniel Musumali and his peers from Kayengona decided to form an Environmental Youth Club after realising the damage the visitors were causing to this rural area.
They go around the beach, cleaning up and raising awareness about the consequences of littering at the river, which also serves as a life source for the residents.
"What we get from the river is reeds, water, grass, and some other things. So we are good and happy to see people having fun in the area as it is, but due to our memory when we're young, we've never seen this before."
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism says it can be challenging to manage recreational spots like these, particularly in rural areas where the place is not proclaimed.
The Ministry admits that littering around here can have various consequences.
But littering is not the only activity that pollutes the river. The reason there are these dry areas resembling little islands for people to relax on is due to sand mining in the river.
Chief Public Relations Officer, Romeo Muyunda, says because Kayengona is a rural area, consent to partake in a listed activity like sand mining comes from the local authority, which is the custodian of the land.