Where´s Zambezi Watercourse Commission? 

Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) approved a large-scale open pit mine project inside the heart of the beautiful Lower Zambezi National Park on the Zambezi River Basin. The national park is International Conservation Union (IUCN) category II protected area.

The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest and one of the most important rivers across eight countries, namely Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in Africa. The Zambezi River Basin has a population of about 40 million people who rely on it for various needs namely, domestic, agriculture, tourism, industries, fisheries, hydropower generation, and the environment. The Zambezi River Basin is a home of threatened wildlife, aquatic life and unique vegetation type.

The management of the basin is under the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) whose main objective is to promote the equitable and reasonable utilization of the water resources of the Zambezi water course as well as the efficient management and suitable development to all riparian countries.Should the mine go ahead this will pose serious transboundary threats to the water quality and its life around the mining area and downstream of the river. This is very important for the threaten habitants living in the region, aquatic life as well as for the transboundary management.

There has been zero response from the ZAMCOM and riparian countries. Such big environmental threatening project on a transboundary river should be subjected to signatory by all countries. Which we have not seen. WHY?

Let's save our Zambezi Basin for our future generation. The Future is Environment!

#saveZambeziBasin #SaveZambezi