In its 1,673-mile journey across southern Africa, the Zambezi River changes with the landscape through which it flows: meandering through swampy plains, dropping dramatically through cracks in the earth, and zig-zagging through deep gorges on its journey to the Indian Ocean.

The river is home to a collection of iconic African wildlife—hippos, Cape buffalo, and elephants, to name a few—and provides sustenance to more than 40 million human residents. The river basin's human population is on track to double by 2025, so the Zambezi needs creative solutions to continue providing benefits for people and nature.

Unintended Consequences

Over the past 50 years, the river has undergone dramatic changes, and we are seeing remarkable differences in how humans and nature interact in the Zambezi basin.

Four of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams—Kariba, Itezhi-Tezhi, Kafue and Cahora Bassa—have stopped most of the river’s annual floods and created massive reservoirs. The resulting artifical lakes are unsuitable habitat for most river species.

Before the dams were built a half-century ago, the Zambezi’s annual floods deposited rich sediments on agricultural fields and created fish spawning and breeding areas in the floodplain.

Communities that once planted their crops as these flood waters receded have since dispersed, and today homes are springing up in former floodplains. These settlements fragment riverside woodlands and wildlife corridors, leading to increased conflict between humans and wildlife.

A Recipe for River Flow

Building on our decades of experience with rivers, The Nature Conservancy is working to restore some of the Zambezi’s natural flows. To provide adequate water and sediment flow for both hydroelectric power and nature, our experts are identifying ways to retrofit the existing dams and assist in planning for new dams.

With natural flows reestablished, a return to flood-recession farming (the traditional technique of planting specific crops as floodwaters recede) from dry farming will improve the productivity of agricultural fields. Enhanced flows will also bring back native plants and animals whose populations have been harmed.

Building Capacity for Protected Areas

With more than 35 percent of its lands in national parks and other special management areas, Zambia has one of the largest protected area systems in Africa.

The Conservancy will focus initially on Lower Zambezi National Park and ultimately aims to strengthen management across more than a million acres by

• Providing training in conservation planning and protected area management to our conservation partners and local people 
• Bolstering security against poaching
• Reducing threats from new tourism and agricultural development
• Working with partners to protect lands adjacent to the parks and maintain intact wildlife travel corridors

Getting It Right Starts Today

In three years, we seek to have agreements in place that modify the operation of existing dams. Moreover, communities and local management authorities will have increased capacity to manage the Zambezi River basin's extensive network of national parks.

Human well-being is inextricably tied to the health of freshwater systems. If these systems unravel, their health—and ours—will decline. Together, we can foster a new approach to conserving our world’s freshwater resources—and the Zambezi River can continue to nourish its people and nature.
 
 

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Brian Richter/TNC (Elephant along the Zambezi River); Photo © David Banks/TNC (Zambezi River); Photo © Brian Richter/TNC (Cape buffalo swimming in the Zambezi River); Photo © Patrick McCarthy/TNC (Cahora Bassa Dam).