ACT4SSAWS

PROJECT DELIVERABLE 6

FINAL RESEARCH PLAN

ZAMBIA

Using IWRM best practices to develop Appropriate Capacity and Training to

benefit Sub-Saharan Africa Water Security [ACT4SSAWS]

2015

AFRICAN UNION COMMISSTION RESEARCH GRANT

10th European Development Fund The African Component of the ACP Research Programme for Sustainable Development

Ref: EuropeAid/132-331/M/ACT/ACP

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1.1 Background

The Lower Kafue Sub-basin is a large area extending from Itezhi-Tezhi Dam

up to the end of Kafue Flats at the Kafue Road Bridge south east of Kafue

Town located south of Lusaka. The Kaleya River Sub-basin and the

Nakambala Sugar Plantation area in Mazabuka are of special interest to this

project. The large Nakambala Sugar Plantation is heavily dependent on water

supplies pumped from the Kafue River. On the other hand, large scale

commercial farmers in the Middle Kaleya Catchment use water resources

derived from the Kaleya River for the irrigation purposes. Two sites of

environmental concern selected as focal points for the Zambia ACT4SSWS

Project are the Munali Albidon Nickel Mine Area and the Kaleya River Basin.

Munali Nickel Mine Area was selected in order to investigate water availability

and solicit stakeholder views on minimisation of the impacts of underground

mining activities. Similarly, the Kaleya River Basin offers opportunities for

investigating integrated water utilisation and management practices by

commercial and small-scale farmers. Water utilisation and management have

implications on water balance assessment in the Kaleya Basin given the

inter-basin water transfer by Nakambala Sugar Plc from Kafue River to the

Lower Kaleya River Basin for sugarcane irrigation by the smallholder farmers.

Figure 1.1: Location of the two study sites Munali Nickle Mine and Kaleya

River Basin

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1.2 Project’s Goal

Munali Nickel Mine study area is a water deficit area such that it heavily relies

on groundwater sources for its operations. As such, the goal of project is to

quantify water availability and characterise quality of water within and in areas

surrounding Munali Nickel Mine. For the Kaleya River Basin, the goal is to

conduct a water balance assessment status for equitable and sustainable

utilisation of water resources in the Kaleya River Basin.

1.3 Objectives

The objectives for the Munali Nickel Mine areas at to: i) identify major sources

of ground and surface water in Munali Nickel Mine area; ii) assess the quality

of subsurface and surface water in the Mine area; iii) assess people's attitudes

and perceptions on water situation in the area; and iv) develop a model on

water availability and sustainable water management strategy for the Munali

Nickel Mine Area.

For the Kaleya River basin, the objectives are to: i) identify sources of water for

domestic and agricultural purposes in the basin; ii) quantify water utilisation by

various users in the catchment; iii) assess water harvesting techniques and

conservation practices used in the Kaleya River Basin; iv) assess the nature of

water rights ownership and management approaches used in the basin; and v)

to develop a sustainable water management strategy for the Kaleya River

Basin.

1.4 Physical Setting of Study Sites

The Munali Albidon Nickel Mine Area is located 65km southeast of Lusaka in

the Naluama/Nega-Nega area of Mazabuka District. It is characterised by a

hilly and undulating topography varying between elevations of 1000 and 1296

meters above mean sea level.

The Munali Nickel Deposit lies in the Zambezi Metamorphic Belt, a

Neoproterozoic orogenic belt with a generally NW-SE strike (Figure 1-2). The

belt consists of metasedimentary rocks with shelf affinities belonging to the

Katangan sequence (Neoproterozoic) overlying a polymetamorphosed

Basement of meta-igneous and meta-sedimentary rocks of Palaeoproterozoic

and Mesoproterozoic age. The Munali Deposit is hosted within the Munali

intrusion, a largely gabbroic body that is intruded close to the Munali Thrust, a

major NW-SE trending structure, which juxtaposes amphibolite grade gneisses

and granitoids of the Basement with greenschist facies metasedimentary rocks

of the Nega Nega Formation, part of the Katangan sequence.

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On the other hand, the Kaleya River Basin is located in Mazabuka district and

rises from Chikankata Hills from which it flows south and southeast of

Mazabuka town. It covers part of the Kafue Flats in the southwest and

northwest of Mazabuka before joining Kafue River (Figure 1-3). The soils are

dominated by red clays which are clay to sandy in texture and are well drained.

The catchment is covered by natural savannah vegetation, which, in most

areas has been cleared for commercial and subsistence cultivation.

Figure 1-2: Geology map of Munali Hills area.

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RiverDamDam sitesCatchment boundarySwampRoadBuilt up areaGauging station

LEGEND

Kaleya KAFUE

ChishibaLagoon

ChanyanyaLagoon

Mazabuka

15 45’S 15 45’S

16 00’S 16 00’S

16 15’S 16 15’S27 45’E

27 45’E 28 00’E

28 00’E

N

Scale

05 5 km

Figure 1-3: Location of Kaleya River Basin in Mazabuka District. Source:

Sichingabula et al. (2012).

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1.5 Socio-Economic System

One third (35%) of Zambia’s population of 13 million is in urban areas and is

largely made of young people (45 % below 15 years of age). This is one of the

reasons for the promotion of development in rural areas especially in water,

agriculture and road infrastructure in order to achieve Zambia’s 2030 vision to

be a prosperous middle-income country. Climate change and variability with

projections by the IPCC in 2007 of an increase in the mean temperature for

Zambia and a projected precipitation increase in the episodes of extreme

climate events, especially floods, calls for carefully planned investment

programmes to manage these threats and sustain livelihoods and

development.

In Zambia, the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth increased to 7.6

percent in 2010 from 6.4 percent in 2009, which was driven by strong

performance in agriculture, mining, as well as transport and communications.

The macroeconomic environment was also favourable, with annual inflation in

2010 at 7.9 percent. However, the Living Conditions Monitoring Survey

(LCMS) report by Central Statistical Office in 2006 reported a marginal decline

of poverty levels to 64 percent from 68 percent with extreme poverty declining

to 51 percent from 53 percent reported in 2004. Therefore, promoting food

security through sustainable agriculture is one means of reducing poverty.

In the recent years, Zambia has recorded an increase in the production of most

food crops such as maize, sorghum, rice, groundnuts, and potatoes, mixed

beans and sweet potatoes, whereas the production of most cash crops

reduced. This production was based mainly on good rainfall, and therefore

given the climatic variability, it is important that the country implements

irrigation strategies to sustain and surpass this performance. Of the available

2,750,000 ha of irrigable land, only 155,912 ha is used including 100,000 ha of

low lying and dambo areas used by traditional farmers to grow winter

vegetables and maize. Therefore, there is more than 2,590,000 ha that could

be used for irrigation to increase food production without necessarily

depending on rainfall.

In the metal mining sector, total copper production was 852,565 Mt compared

to 698,179 Mt in 2009 against a projection of 740,000 Mt. The manufacturing

sector grew at 4.1 percent in 2010 compared to 2.2 percent in 2009, while the

electricity, gas and water sectors grew by 7.4 percent compared to 6.8 percent

in 2009. Growth in manufacturing was facilitated by favourable agricultural

production, stability in the forestry sector, and continued growth in mineral

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production. Growth in construction sector at 8.1 percent in 2010 was lower

than 9.5 percent in 2009.

The total renewable water resources of Zambia amount to about 100

Km3/year. Groundwater potential is estimated at 57.5 km3/year with a total

water demand at less than 40 Km3 with hydropower generation using the

largest amount of 36 Km3 per year, agriculture about 2.31 Km3, industry 0.21

Km3 and households 0.48 Km3. The lack of adequate storage reservoir

capacity and limited groundwater development has undermined this potential.

Ninety-nine percent of electricity production in the country is from hydropower.

Consequently, the economic growth in the industrial sector, particularly mining,

and its subsequent increased demand for energy has affected the country’s

water resources utilization against the other competing demands, such as

agriculture. The Energy Regulation Board in 2009 reported that, at national

level, current energy (electricity) access rates stood at 22 percent while

coverage for rural and urban areas was at 3.2 percent and 49.3 percent,

respectively. This situation shows that limited access to electricity is a

contributing factor to limiting social and economic development, and thus

reducing poverty, in the country.

Access to safe water stands at 87 percent for urban areas and 37 percent for

rural areas. Therefore, reduction in poverty requires investment in water

supply and sanitation particularly in rural Zambia. The national development

agenda whose overarching goal over the next two decades (as stated in the

Vision 2030) is to become a prosperous middle-income country, with a

competitive and outward oriented economy, where hunger is eradicated and

poverty is reduced to minimal levels. Water and energy resources are key

drivers to catalyse developments in these sectors.

At the study area level, the economic linkages in the Lower Kafue River Basin

are centred on the production driven from water resources used within the

Kafue. These include the power generation, agricultural production, industrial

production and domestic water use, with powers of private sector (Zambia

Sugar, ZESCO, ZamBeef), tourism (natural), fisheries and the population

growth (community livilihoods). Without adequate hydrological resources or

biological health within the system, economic production is not sustainable.

This is further compounded by climate change and variability. In addition,

quantity (allocation to the competing needs – agriculture, livestock, fisheries

and e-flows) and water quality in the sugar growing area are of great

importance. The waters of Lower Kafue Basin contribute 80% to sugarcane

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production, 50% of hydropower production, 25% to national maize production,

20% to livestock population in Zambia, 7% to national fisheries, and that 73% of

its area is rural.

In the two study sites, local land use in the area around Munali Nickel Mine

include subsistence agriculture, livestock grazing and sand mining especially

in Kasengo Village area north of Munali Hills area. The water supply to Munali

Nickel Mine is from boreholes some of which were sunk for water quantity and

quality monitoring purposes. Munali Albidon Nickel Mine area activities also

impact on local communities that depend on the mine for water supply and

other social amenities. The mine is the only one located in Mazabuka district

and offers employment to people from the surrounding area as well as people

from Kafue, Mazabuka and Lusaka towns.

Kaleya River basin is renowned for large scale production of sugar cane,

coffee, wheat, maize, potatoes and livestock (sheet, goat, cattle). These

activities demand use of large quantities of water from groundwater and

surface sources. The existence of large-scale and small-scale farmers in the

basin, points to the need for assessment of the social and economic impacts of

agricultural development in Kaleya River basin.

1.6 Ecological-Hydrological System

Zambia is a land-locked country in Southern Africa lying between latitudes 8o –

18o South and longitudes 22o – 34o East of the Greenwich Meridian. It shares

borders with eight countries, namely, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe,

Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Zambia’s main water resources is mostly found in major drainage systems

composed of the Zambezi, Kafue, Luangwa, Lufubu and the

Chambeshi-Luapula rivers, and the two man-made lakes at Kariba and

Itezhi-Tezhi dams, and two large lakes, the Tanganyika and Mweru with some

extensive swamps like Bangweulu, Busanga and Lukanga. These features

provide Zambia’s resources of water, fisheries and tourism attractions.

Mazabuka District is located in the Southern Province of Zambia along the

Great North Road, 125 km by road from Lusaka. It provides goods and

services to the surrounding area of approximately 6, 687 km2. It experiences

three types of seasons in a year, namely, the dry and wet season is from

November to March, the cold and dry season from April to July and the dry and

hot season from August to October. Temperatures range from 12o to 34o C. It is

well known for the largest sugar plantation in country owned by the Nakambala

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Sugar plc.

1.7 Institutional Setting/Arrangements

The AU ACT4SSWS project is hosted under the IWRM Centre at University of

Zambia with overall oversight of the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational

Training and Early Education. Other key stakeholders include the Ministry of

Mines and Mineral Development, Albidon Munali Nickel Mine, The

Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), Nakambala Sugar Plc, Small

Holder (Out-grower) farmers, Southern Water and Sewerage Company,

Mazabuka District Council as well as the Traditional Leadership.

1.8 Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes are:

Water quantity and quality in Munali Nickel Mine Area and Kaleya River

Basin assessed;

Water Balance assessments in Munali Nickel Mine area and Kaleya

River Basin conducted;

Equitable utilisation of water in Kaleya River basin provisionally agreed

by stakeholders; and

Local community views on socio-economic problems related to Munali

Nickel Mining in Munali Hills area discussed with Albidon Nickel Mine

Management.

1.9 Planned Activities

The planned activities are:

Engaging various stakeholders in Mazabuka District and to explain

project activities;

Supporting academic research activities for students working within the

project areas;

Holding stakeholder consultative workshops in Mazabuka;

Undertaking water quantity and quality measurements in Munali Nickel

Mine Area and in Kaleya River Basin;

Modeling water availability in Munali Nickel Mine Area.

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Research Tasks

SOCIAL STAKEHOLDERS

SOC1- Involve local authorities on the Project activity

SOC2 - Create awareness among communities on water

Quantity and quality issues.

SOC3 - Identify stakeholder groups and their interests to

produce stakeholder profile and list

SOC4 – Conduct preliminary field visit in the Lower Kafue

basin to identify key preliminary issues with stakeholders

SOC5 - Assess social impact of mining on resettlement of

local communities

MACO, ZEMA, NGOs

MLEP, DMMU, MOH, MHA,

Mazabuka District Council

Traditional Leadership

Rural Communities,

Commercial farmers,

MWED, UNZA, NHC

ECONOMIC-Financial

EC1 – Assess economic benefit of mining activities in the

area

EC2 - Evaluate the cost of water supply to mine area from

Kafue River

EC3- Assess the economic value of water in the Mine area

EC4-Determine the value of water for different users – Socio

economic value of water in the Kaleya River Basin

Mazabuka District Council,

Local Communities,

Munali Nickel Mine,

Traditional Leadership

DWA, WAMA, ZESCO,

MSTVT

ZEMA, UNZA, SWSC

TECHNICAL

TEC1 -Perform a needs assessment for water quality

Monitoring

TEC2 – Perform an analysis of, land use, land cover & water use in

Kaleya river basin.

TEC3 – Produce model for the assessment of Groundwater in Munali

Nickle mine area.

TEC4- Evaluate water quality

Rural Communities,

ZEMA, MSTVT

MWED, UNZA,

Munali Nickel Mine, Local

Communities

INFORMATION, EDUCATION, COMMUNICATIONS

IEC1 - Develop communication strategy

IEC2 – Hold dissemination workshops with stakeholders

IEC3 - Sensitizing/awareness of good mining practices

IEC4 - Engage media to share findings on activities in the Lower

Kafue River Catchment for sustained collaboration

IEC5- Conduct meetings with key stakeholders working in Lower

Kafue river Catchment on the project activities

IEC6- Capacity building i.e. graduation of university students with

skills on IWRM

ZNBC

Local Communities,

Mazabuka District Council,

MP,

MWED ZEMA

ENVIRONMENTAL

ENV1- Determine quantity and quality of water in the

Kaleya river basin

ENV2- Estimate SW-GW interaction in the Munali area

ENV3 - Analysis of different causes of river banks degradation in

Kaleya Basin

ENV4 Assessing sources & non sources of potential

contaminates/pollutants

ENV5 - Analysis of different causes of soil degradation

ENV6 - Evaluate the sustainable use of forest resources

ENV7- Assess and identify different methods of biodiversity

preservation

MACO

MLEP,

Local Communities

Mazabuka District Council

Traditional Leadership

ZEMA

Department of Forestry

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INSTITUTIONAL & MANAGEMENT

IM1. Establish and sustain the collaboration with different tiers of

governance operating in the Kaleya River Basin

IM2. Identify contact persons to work with the Munali Nickle Mine

area and Kaleya River Basin.

Improvement Plan Coordination Committee

IM3 - Evaluate the involvement and the participation of local

communities in the area

IM4 - Evaluate the functionality of mining management structure

IM5 - Evaluate the efficiency of flow of information among

stakeholders (top-down and down-top)

MACO

MLEP,

Mazabuka District Council,

Traditional Leadership,

Commercial farmers,

Nakambala Sugar Plc

NGOs

ZEM, ZNFU SWSCO,

Mazabuka District Council,

Local Community Radios,

UNZA