ZAMBIA'S THREE MAJOR RIVERS

Blessed with 3 major rivers, several substantial tributaries, and many smaller rivers, as well as vast natural lakes and the enormous Kariba dam, Zambia is one of the most water rich countries in Africa. The source of the Zambezi is in northwest Zambia and runs through the Barotse Floodplains until it forms the border with Zimbabwe. After providing power from Kariba Dam, it is joined by the Kafue River and later the Luangwa before heading out to the Indian Ocean. The Kafue and Luangwa Rivers are the life blood of the Kafue and Luangwa National Parks, teeming with hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds and plains game coming to drink. Many other rivers traverse the country with an abundance of delightful waterfalls.

 Kafue River

The Kafue River plays a large role in Zambia’s eco- system. It is a major tributary to the Zambezi River and is the largest and longest river lying entirely within Zambia. Other tributaries include the Lufupa and Lunga rivers in the north, the Musa and the Luansanza in the centre and the Nanzhila in the south. Its course changes between slow flowing reaches to fast swift channels and mighty rapids. The streams which feed the river often have sandy banks which are perfect nesting sites for bee-eaters while the sandy shores are often occupied by hippos, crocodiles, otters and water monitors. Both the Musa River and the Kafue River flow into Lake Itezhi- Tezhi in an area that covers 370 square kilometres of serene water. The area is great for wildlife enthusiasts, fisherman and boating- fans.

Route

The river follows a course of approximately 960 kilometres. It is one of the most prominent rivers in Zambia as its water is used for irrigation as well as hydroelectric power. It also breathes life into its surroundings with an abundance of life found around its banks. The river rises on the Congo/ Zambia border and then makes its way southward before turning west near the Lukanga Swamp. From here the river continues south and then east through the Kafue Gorge and the Kafue Flats. It then joins the famous Zambezi River near Chirundu in Zimbabwe. The river runs through the extensive Kafue National Park where it is a source of life for an abundance of wild animals. The river roughly dissects the park creating a north and south separation.

The Luangwa River

The Luangwa Valley is one of Africa’s prime wildlife sanctuaries, with concentrations and varieties of game and birdlife that have made it world famous. This is the landscape of the ‘Real Africa’, with herds of antelope sheltering under thorn trees, or roaming the plains, predators skulking in the shadows and primordial drama in every vale.
The ‘Valley’ lies at the tail end of the Great Rift Valley, that continental fault which runs from the Red Sea down the length of East Africa. This accounts for the spectacular escarpment scenery in East Africa as well as the African Lakes.

As the Rift reaches Zambia, it divides; one arm to the east encompasses Lake Malawi and the western arm becomes the Luangwa Valley, which stretches some seven hundred kilometres at an average width of about one hundred kilometres.

In the west, the Muchinga Mountain range forms the limit of both the Valley and the parks. In the east is a similar, though less well defined escarpment. The Valley floor is about a thousand meters lower than the surrounding plateau.

Down the centre of the valley flows the Luangwa River, fed by dozens of sand rivers that come down during the rainy season. The Luangwa carves a tortuous course along the floor and when in flood rapidly erodes the outer bends, depositing silt within the loops. Eventually the river cuts a new course, leaving the old course to silt up, forming ‘ox bow’ lagoons. These lagoons are very important to the ecology of the riverine zone and account for the high carrying capacity of the area.

The countryside is spectacular in its rugged beauty, the vegetation thick and, near the Luangwa River and its many tributaries, a lush riverine forest occurs that is green all year round. Flanking the rivers western banks are the North and South Luangwa National Parks separated by the 30km Munyamadzi corridor. To the east, between the two main parks is another small and as yet undeveloped Park called Luambe. Further east on the rocky uplands beyond the flood plain is the Lukusuzi National Park, also undeveloped but plans are in the pipeline.


The History of Game Protection in the Valley

The development of game protection in the area began in the late 19th century when the British South Africa Company was administering the territory. They imposed a total ban on the hunting of hippo and elephant due to massive exploitation by the Chikunda tribe from Mozambique and the Arab traders from Malawi. Today there is an over-abundance of hippos along the Luangwa River.

With the recovery of elephant numbers, the BSAC established the first game reserve in the Luamfwa region in 1904, also intending to protect the last remaining species of the endemic Thornicroft’s Giraffe. It was deproclaimed in 1911, but then elephant populations began to get out of control, jeopardising the livelihood of the local villagers. Certain hunters were given to licences to shoot the crop raiding elephants, but the temptation to shoot the biggest ones for their tusks was too great. An in depth survey was completed in 1932 recommending the proclamation of game reserves and the appointment of an elephant control department.

Thames 

The North and South Parks and Luambe were proclaimed in 1938 and two young men, Norman Carr and Bert Schultz were appointed as game rangers in 1939. Villages within the reserves were moved to the periphery. In the late 1940’s Carr recommended that hunting safaris be operated here with the revenues going to the local Native Authorities. Game rangers from the department were seconded to act as professional hunters.

In 1951 Carr persuaded one of the local Chiefs to set aside a portion of his tribal land as a game reserve bordering the park and a safari camp was built there with some of the proceeds going back to the community. Later, a pontoon was erected across the Luangwa River and a few other camps were established. As the years went by, all weather roads were installed and other safari companies emerged.

In 1973 the elephant population was estimated to be 100 000 and found to be causing a major impact on the surrounding areas, but poaching was rampant too and numbers of elephant and the endangered rhino, began to decline steadily.

The privately funded Save the Rhino Trust was established in 1980 and extensive anti-poaching patrols were carried out. Elephant poaching was curbed to some extent but rhinos unfortunately could not be saved and today they are entirely absent from the area. The reward from foreigners for their sought after horns, being too great a temptation to the penniless villagers.

Today there are about 20 operators in the valley, spread out along 150 kilometers of the Luangwa River. They range from budget camps to sophisticated lodges and offer walking safaris, game drives, night drives and photographic safaris.

The Zambezi River

The Zambezi is Africa’s fourth largest River system, after the Nile, Zaire and Niger Rivers. It runs through six countries on it’s journey from central Africa to the Indian Ocean. Its unique value is that it is less developed than others in terms of human settlement and many areas along it’s banks enjoy protected status.
It’s power has carved the spectacular Victoria Falls and the zigzagging Batoka Gorge.

The Zambezi has been harnessed at various points along the way including the massive Kariba Dam between Zambia and Zimbabwe and Cabora Bassa Dam in Mozambique. Plans for another dam at the Batoka gorge have fortunately been shelved.

The River’s beauty has attracted tourists from all over the world providing opportunities for a myriad of water sports and game viewing.

Running for a length of 2700kms, it begins it’s journey as an insignificant little spring in the corner of north-west Zambia in the Mwinilunga District. It bubbles up between the roots of a tree, very close to the border where Zambia, Angola and Zaire meet.

It enters Angola for about 230kms, where it accumulates the bulk of its headwater drainage, and re-enters Zambia again at Cholwezi rapids flowing due south but substantially enlarged by the entry of various tributaries.

This upper part of the river is thinly populated by pastoralists, farmers and fishermen and although wildlife is sparse it is remarkably free of pollution. This is also the scene of the remarkable Ku-omboka Ceremony where thousands of inhabitants move annually to higher ground as the Zambezi floods into the low lying plains.

It passes through the flat sandy country of the Western Province, then traverses the broad, annually flooding Barotse Plains, where much of the water is lost to evaporation, then over more rocky country where it’s tranquil course is interrupted by the Ngonye falls and rapids.

As it turns to an easterly direction it forms the border between Zambia and Namibia and eventually joins up with the Chobe River in the Caprivi Swamps, briefly forming a border with Botswana.

For the next 500kms it serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe thundering over the Victoria Falls and through the narrow, steadily deepening Batoka Gorge, providing a fantastic playground for white water rafting, kayaking, river boarding and jet boating.

From here the steep sides of the gorge eventually flatten out at the broad Gwembe Valley.

Then it flows into the Kariba dam for 281kms – it’s width at one point being 40kms.

From the dam wall the river travels due north, heading east again at Chirundu.

Here it is flanked by the Lower Zambezi National Park on the Zambian side and Mana Pools National Park on the Zimbabwean side. This middle zone supports one of Africa’s most important wilderness areas.

After the Luangwa confluence, it’s a much larger Zambezi that flows into Mozambique and out towards the Indian Ocean, having provided power, food, pleasure and transport for many and a home for untold numbers of wildlife along it’s journey.