Establishing the Environmental Flow Regime for the Middle Zambezi River

Auteur

Elenestina Mwelwa-Mutekenya is a seasoned hydrologist who has worked as an Environmentalist in a hydropower based power company, ZESCO, for over 20 years. Her work includes participation in defining environmental aspects related to water resources management in the regional Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). Her work and participation in the environmental and social impact assessment process has given her a good understanding of pertinent aspects that relate to hydropower development and operation. The research work in the establishment of sustainable environmental flow regime for a hydropower dominated Middle Zambezi has given her a good understanding of important aspects to look for in the proposition of workable hydropower optimisation plans to save the downstream environment of hydropower schemes.

Texte du rabat

The Middle Zambezi, host to a rich biodiversity, is located in the central part of the Zambezi River Basin which covers eight Southern African Countries. The area is located downstream of three hydropower schemes. In the last decades, the floodplain riparian tree, the Faidherbia albida, vital for the local wild life, has shown a worrying decrease in its regeneration rates. This thesis explores establishing the environmental flow regime for the Middle Zambezi reach in order to minimise the impact of the upstream hydropower schemes on the river environment, using the Faidherbia albida tree as a biological indicator.

Contenu

Summary
1: Introduction
2: Historical perspective of the hydropower dominated zambezi basin
3: The study area - middle zambezi sub-catchment
4: Current surface and subsurface flows
5: Morphodynamics
6: Flood plain vegetation
7: Suggested environmental flow regime
8: Synthesis, conclusions and recommendations
References