Zambezi

The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and one of the continent’s principal arteries of movement, migration, conquest and commerce. In this book, historian Malyn Newitt quotes rarely used Portuguese sources that throw vivid light on the culture of the river peoples and their relations with the Portuguese creole society of the prazos. Hitherto unused manuscript material illustrates Portuguese and British colonial rule over the people of the long-lived Lunda kingdoms, and the Lozi of the Barotse Floodplain. The Zambezi became a war zone during the ‘Scramble for Africa’, the struggle for independence and the civil wars that followed the departure of colonial powers. Recent history has also seen the river’s wild nature tamed by the introduction of steamers and the building of bridges and dams. These developments have changed the character of the waterway, and impacted–often drastically–the ecological systems of the valley and those settled along its course. The Zambezi traces the history of the communities that have lived along this great river; their relationship with the states formed on the high veldt; and the ways they have adapted to the vagaries of the Zambezi itself, with its annual floods, turbulent rapids and dramatic gorges.

When the stresses of a corporate environment got too much, Mike Boon decided to tackle the 3000 kilometres of the Zambezi River in a kayak. He was in for 100 days of paddling through war-town countryside, boiling rapids and crocodile-infested waters, with the constant reminder that, when times got tough, he was in it alone.

Zambezi by Tony Park, the author of Red Earth, is a full-throttle international thriller that will engross fans of Clive Cussler. Paradise is about to erupt News of the death of a research assistant, killed by a man-eating lion in Zimbabwe, reaches those closest to her. Jed Banks, a Special Forces soldier serving in Afghanistan; Professor Christine Wallis in South Africa; and Hassan bin Zayid, a hotel magnate in Zambia. The victim was respectively their daughter, protégé and lover. Driven to find out what exactly happened, Jed, accompanied by Christine, travels to the banks of the Zambezi to investigate. Not only does Jed learn some shocking truths about the daughter he thought he knew, he begins to suspect Christine is withholding crucial information. Meanwhile, Hassan's grief is dangerously volatile . . .

The Zambezi river is the fourth longest in Africa, crossing or bordering Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The river basin is widely recognised as one of the most important basins in southern Africa and is the focus of contested development, including water for hydropower and for agriculture and the environment. This book provides a thorough review of water and sustainable development in the Zambezi, in order to identify critical issues and propose constructive ways forward. The book first reviews the availability and use of water resources in the basin, outlines the basin’s economic potential and highlights key concerns related to climate vulnerability and risk. Focus is then devoted to hydropower and the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, sustainable agricultural water management, and threats and opportunities related to provision of ecosystem services. The impact of urbanisation and water quality is also examined, as well as ways to enhance transboundary water cooperation. Last, the book assesses the level of water security in the basin, and provides suggestions for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. Throughout, emphasis is placed on entry points for basin-level management to foster improved paths forward.

This book brings together articles and conference papers on the Zambezi River and Kariba Dam written by Dr. Tumbare between 1998-2010. Part I discusses issues of river basin and integrated water resources management and Part II contains papers in infrastructure development in the water and energy sectors.