Zambezi River Basin

Land degradation Soil erosion is the most widespread form of land degradation in the basin accounting for about 15 per cent of all degraded land in the Zambezi River Basin (SADC and ZRA 2007). Other forms of land degradation include

loss of vegetation cover, soil crusting and compaction, declining soil fertility and siltation of dams. The main causes of land degradation are over-grazing, poor agricultural methods, deforestation, forest fires, panning for minerals, floods and droughts.

© Elton Laisi © Elton Laisi

© Manuel Malaze

Land degradation on slopes inMalawi.

Land degraded by gold panning.

Soil erosion following drought.

Mulilo is the administrative centre of Namibia’s Caprivi strip. The centre is strategically located along major transport routes linking the towns of Livingstone in Zambia, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and Kasane in Botswana.

47