Rapid Assessment – Final Report Integrated Water Resources Management Strategy for the Zambezi River Basin SADC-WD/Zambezi River Authority SIDA, DANIDA, Norwegian Embassy Lusaka December 2007 Euroconsult Mott MacDonald Rapid Assessment – Final Report Table of contents 1 Introduction.........................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ..............................................................................................1 1.2 Objectives and Scope of Rapid Water Resources Assessment ...............2 1.3 Rapid Assessment and Strategy Preparation Process.............................2 1.4 Data sources ............................................................................................3 1.5 Structure of this report..............................................................................4 2 Description of the Zambezi River Basin ...........................................................6 2.1 The Zambezi River Basin .........................................................................6 2.1.1 Location and Topography..................................................................6 2.1.2 Geology.............................................................................................6 2.1.3 Climate..............................................................................................7 2.1.4 Basin Physiography and Morphology................................................8 2.1.5 Land Cover / Use ..............................................................................9 2.1.6 Flood plain agriculture.....................................................................10 2.2 Sub-Basin Characteristics ......................................................................11 2.3 Basin Social and Economic Profile.........................................................12 2.4 Water Resources Administration and Management ...............................16 2.4.1 Water Management Arrangements in Countries .............................16 2.4.2 National data management systems ...............................................20 2.4.3 Regional institutional framework .....................................................21 3 Water Resources Assessment.........................................................................23 3.1 Available Surface Water Resources.......................................................23 3.1.1 Definition .........................................................................................23 3.1.2 Methodology....................................................................................23 3.1.3 Runoff..............................................................................................25 3.1.4 Basin Water Balance.......................................................................26 3.1.5 Lakes and Reservoirs......................................................................27 3.2 Available Groundwater Resources .........................................................27 3.2.1 The role of groundwater in the Zambezi River Basin ......................27 3.2.2 Hydrogeological Features of Zambezi River Basin .........................28 3.3 Flow Regimes and Regulation................................................................30 3.3.1 Floods .............................................................................................30 Mott MacDonald i Rapid Assessment – Final Report 3.3.2 Droughts..........................................................................................32 4 Water Utilisation and Demand .........................................................................34 4.1 Population in the Zambezi Basin ............................................................34 4.2 Domestic Water Use ..............................................................................36 4.3 Water Use for Industries and Mines .......................................................37 4.4 Agriculture ..............................................................................................38 4.4.1 Irrigated area...................................................................................38 4.4.2 Livestock .........................................................................................39 4.5 Hydro-power...........................................................................................40 4.6 Environmental Water Demand ...............................................................42 4.7 Navigational uses ...................................................................................43 4.8 Comparing current demand with run-off .................................................45 4.9 Forward projections................................................................................46 4.9.1 Assumption on domestic demand ...................................................46 4.9.2 Assumption on demand from industry and mining ..........................48 4.9.3 Assumption on demand from irrigation and livestock ......................48 4.9.4 Assumptions on hydro-power development ....................................52 4.9.5 Assumption on managed flood releases .........................................55 4.9.6 Inter-basin transfer ..........................................................................55 4.9.7 Future projection of water availability ..............................................55 4.10 Implications under different future scenario’s .........................................56 5 Environmental and Water Quality Situation ...................................................58 5.1 Environmental Endowment.....................................................................58 5.1.1 Wetlands and Lakes........................................................................58 5.1.2 Wildlife and Tourism........................................................................59 5.1.3 Fisheries..........................................................................................60 5.2 Surface Water Quality and Pollution.......................................................61 5.2.1 Water Quality and Effluent Standards .............................................61 5.2.2 Sources of Water Pollution..............................................................62 5.2.3 Salinity intrusion ..............................................................................72 5.2.4 Sediment.........................................................................................72 5.3 Groundwater Quality and Pollution.........................................................73 5.4 Environmental Threats ...........................................................................74 5.4.1 Waterborne Diseases......................................................................74 Mott MacDonald ii Rapid Assessment – Final Report 5.4.2 Invasive aquatic species .................................................................75 5.4.3 Water Pollution Hotspots.................................................................77 5.4.4 Wetland Degradation.......................................................................78 5.5 Management of Water Resources and Related Environmental Issues ..79 5.5.1 Water Quality Management.............................................................79 5.5.2 Mainstreaming Environment into Development Planning................80 6 Institutional and Policy Issues.........................................................................81 6.1 Basin Institutional Organization and Management .................................81 6.2 Coordination of Trans-boundary Water Management Issues .................81 6.2.1 Hydro-meteorological data collection and exchange.......................81 6.2.2 Water rights and licenses................................................................82 6.2.3 Water quality monitoring and management.....................................83 6.2.4 Flood management .........................................................................83 6.2.5 Groundwater monitoring and management.....................................84 7 Synopsis of Strategic Issues ...........................................................................85 7.1 Coordinated Water Resources Development .........................................86 7.1.1 Extreme Variability in Rainfall and Water Resources ......................86 7.1.2 High Demand for Infrastructure for Water Development .................86 7.1.3 Improved Operation of Major Dams in the Basin.............................87 7.1.4 Basin-wide Data Collection and Information Exchange Systems ....87 7.1.5 Inadequate Financing of Water Resources Management ...............88 7.2 Environmental Management...................................................................89 7.2.1 Wetland Management .....................................................................89 7.2.2 Control of Point Pollution.................................................................90 7.2.3 Control of aquatic weeds.................................................................90 7.3 Climate change adaptation.....................................................................91 7.4 Regional Cooperation and Integration....................................................93 7.4.1 Integrated Management of Zambezi Basin Water Resources.........93 7.4.2 Weak Institutional Capacity of Water Management Institutions.......94 7.4.3 Poor Knowledge Base of Basin Water Resources ..........................95 7.4.4 Vulnerability to Natural