LEDC River Flooding: Zambezi 2009

BACKGROUND

The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest river in Africa.
The area of its basin is 1390,000 square kilometres.
The river runs from its source in Zambia, through Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and down to the mouth into the Indian Ocean.
The population of the basin is estimated to be around 32 million.
80% of that population rely on agriculture for their income, being dependant on the flood plains which produce nutrient rich soil.
Communities by the river also fish it extensively.

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Although it is normal for the Zambezi to flood annually, the rainy season of 2009 lasted longer than the usual 6 months. ITCZ
Climate change makes weather more extreme.
The construction of the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams have interfered with the natural flow of the river.
Deforestation means that there was less vegetation to intercept rainwater and evaporate it - more water reached the channel. Throughflow is also decreased by plant roots.
Soil erosion is when water wears away at topsoil, depositing it elsewhere. Due to the heavy rainfall, a large amount of surface water runoff occurred, depositing soil in the river and blocking it.

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River levels rose by 8m.
45,000ha of agricultural land and 3,000 livestock was lost. This is a major economical problem.
Floodwater destroyed huts which were made from straw and mud.
At least 100 people killed.
700,000 people affected.
50,000 people displaced.
9,000 people relocated to camps which had insufficient water and sanitation.
Effects spread across a group of LEDCs including Botzwana, Namibia, Zambia, and Angola.
State of emergency announced in Namibia.

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$13 million allocated for the response.
110 relocation camps were established.
The army was called in to deal with the situation.
Charities and aid agencies raised funds for emergency aid including food, medicine, and mosquito nets.
The Zambezi River Basin initiative was run by the Red Cross and helped over 600,000 people over an 8 year period with disaster preparation, food insecurity, water supplies, and disease prevention.
A new dam, costing $2.3 billion, is proposed, to control the river flow.
Intergrated Water Resource Management for Zambia is a satellite image and weather forecasting initiative.

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