The Luapula River, a water way shared between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is central to the ecological, social, and economic wellbeing of the region. The river rises in the Bangweulu Swamps, one of the world’s largest wetlands lying east of Lake Bangweulu in eastern Zambia, then descends through a series of falls and runs into Lake Mweru in Tanzania.
On 28 August Zambia’s Minister of Water Development and Sanitation announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Power China International Group Limited. The MoU allows Power China to ‘develop a comprehensive water plan for the Kafue catchment’ and an inter-basin transfer of water from Luapula River to Kafue River.
Vision Africa Regional Network – Zambia and Care for Nature Zambia held an urgent meeting to scrutinise the plans and raise concerns over the impact transferring water will have on local communities and international relations. The meeting was held on 6 September 2024 at Mansa Hotel and was attended by both virtual and physical participants. There were about 80 online participants with different expertise from both within and outside Zambia, and close to 50 physical participants drawn from various sectors.
Many expressed concern that an inter-basin transfer could have negative impacts on aquatic species, the freshwater ecosystem, and nearby communities. There were speeches from Sandra Ponde Imbuwa (Senior Ecologist and Focal Point to the Convention on Wetlands), Bwalya Mwali, (Chairperson of Ingwee-Belgium), Dr. Barnabas Mulenga (Director and managing consultant, Eland Development Investment) and Mwenya Jackson (Executive Director, Vision Africa Regional Network). Dr. Musonda Mumba, the Secretary General to the Convention on Wetlands, was also on call.
After the presentations, the floor opened for participants to express their views. The following recommendations were made:
- Organise a stakeholder meeting with the Ministry of Water, Ministry of Green Economy, CSOs and other experts to share available studies and allow those for and those against the project to give their submission to government ministries.
- During the consultative meeting the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation must share the MoU to allow civil society to review it and understand the proposed project.
- Meet rightsholders – including traditional leaders and community members in Luapula, Northern and Muchinga provinces – to help them make informed decisions on the proposed project and prepare them for public engagements.
- Conduct radio programs to raise awareness of the Ministry’s MoU with PowerChina.
- Collect 20,000 signatures to petition the government against diverting water from Luapula River to Kafue River.
- Demand that government consider establishing a hydropower plant to address water shortages instead of diverting water.
- Launch the Save Luapula River campaign.
For more information on the Save Luapula River campaign please contact Vision Africa Regional Network’s Mwenya Jackson at [email protected].