Zambezi River Basin

Zambia

TANZANIA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Lake Bangweulu

Z AM B E Z I R I V E R BASIN L I M I T Mpika

Mansa

MALAWI

Mwinilunga

Chililabombwe Mufulira

Lundazi

ANGOLA

Solwezi

Chingola

Ndola

Kitwe

K a b o m p o

Luanshya

Kasempa

Zambezi

Chipata

Kabwe Kapiri Mposhi

Lukulu

K a f u e

Nyimba

Kaoma

Kalabo

Mumbwa

MOZAMBIQUE

ZAMBIA

LUSAKA

Mongu

Mazabuka

Kafue

Senanga

Elevation Metres above sea-level

Choma

Sesheke

0 200 500 1 000 3 000 2 000 1 500

Livingstone

NAMIBIA

ZIMBABWE

BOTSWANA

Total Area of Country Portion of Country within Zambezi Basin National Population in 2010 Portion of National Populationwithin Zambezi Basin

752 614 sq km 577 900 (76.8%) 13 million 8 517 600 (65.52%)

Important Environmental Issues

• Copper mining • Water and air pollution • Deforestation and wildlife depletion • Urbanization

Zambia is a landlocked country resting on a high plateau with a subtropical climate characterized by a single rainy season. Savannah is the dominant ecosystem and covers the centre of the country, separating the rain forest in the northwest from the semi-desert region in the southwest. Along Zambia’s border with Zimbabwe, the Zambezi River flows over the famous Victoria Falls – Mosi oa Tunya in the local Tonga language, “the Smoke that Thunders”. The two countries also share the Kariba Dam, built to generate hydroelectric power and also now a major recreation and fisheries area. Northern Zambia joins the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. Zambia is the source of the Zambezi River, which rises as a small spring in the northwest of the country. Progress towards environmental sustainability Reverse the loss of environmental resources Copper mining has played a major role in the national economy since mining began in the late 1920s and the rich reserves of the

Copperbelt region have made Zambia a world leader in copper production. However, the absence of effective environmental regulation of the industry has led to widespread air, soil and water pollution, through the use of environmentally damaging mining methods such as open pit and underground digging, as well as pumping and disposal of large volumes of wastewater, and smelting operations that emit sulphur dioxide (UNEP 2008). Zambia’s Nchanga mine is the largest opencast mine in Africa and second largest in the world. The capital city, Lusaka, continues to be the main destination for rural migrants, closely followed by Copperbelt province, together accounting for 69 per cent of the total urbanization (UN- HABITAT 2007). The major urban areas are faced with serious environmental challenges such as soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, and changes to the microclimate resulting from illegal quarrying, illegal development, deforestation, and the overexploitation of forest resources (Government of Zambia 2008).

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