Zambezi River Basin

Agriculture Agriculture plays an important role in sustaining economic development in most of the basin countries. Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi together have 86 per cent of the estimated 5.2 million hectares of the land area cultivated annually in the basin (SADC and ZRA 2007). Use of fertilizers and agrochemicals in the basin contributes to the eutrophication of floodplain water bodies, especially abandoned channels, oxbow meanders, and shallow marshes. Water quality in the basin is also affected by soil erosion. For example, farming in the Sanyati catchment area of Zimbabwe, generates pollution through leaching of nutrients from the fields (SADC and ZRA 2007).

© SADC

Gold, copper, tin and coal are some of the minerals found in the Zambezi basin.

Mining Mining activities are extensive in the Zambezi basin. Sub-basins such as the Luangwa River, Lake Kariba, and the Kafue and Kabompo Rivers have high concentrations of mining operations, contributing to water pollution in the Zambezi River (SADC and ZRA 2007). All the streams that drain mining areas in the Copperbelt region release waste into Kafue River or its tributary, the Kafubu River. These are the main sources of drinking water for most of the towns in the Copperbelt. Mining operations contribute to serious environmental problems such as water pollution caused by acid mine drainage, cyanide spills in gold mining and heavy metal contamination (Chenje 2000).

© ZACPRO 6.2 © ZACPRO 6.2

Many crops are grown in the Zambezi basin, including wheat, maize, sunflower, sugar cane, soya beans and other vegetables.

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