CHANGES

http://www.namibia-tours-safaris.com/itineraries/zambezi-and-luangwa-wildlife-safari.htm, 2010)

GOOD HUMAN IMPACT 

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE

+Mana pools national parks  1984

+Safari areas

2010 UNESCO MIDDEL BIOSPHERE RESERVE àmanage biodiversity etc.

+Many conservation societies

HOW TO IMPROVE 

In order to  restore lower Zambezi it would be a great idea to improve the water release cycle to mimic natural flow –and improve richness of downstream degradation. Sadly this plan could be undermined since new dams are being planned, like the one at Batoka Gorge beneath Victoria Falls. However this would be a great prospect for the future betterment of the ecosystem and could restore the enviornment greatly. (http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/zambezi-river-of-life, 2012) 

It would also be helpful to support the restoration to dam affected communities like TONGA and other tribes of the area. These people live in one with nature and live without electricity and they still depend upon the natural cycle of the Zambezi. 

(http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/zambezi-river-of-life, 2012) 
And to inform the impacted communities and have lower villages have better communication with upper catchment area can REALLY effect life downstream

(http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/zambezi-river-of-life, 2012) 

It would truly make a huge impact on the balance of human and nature if tourism and WILDLIFE CONSERVATION on hunting was implemented even more thoroughly than it is now. Through traveling amongst the wildlife it is proved that people discover the importance of preservation and the existence of wildlife. They will support its protection and the wild can continue being wild.
   
 Nambia Tours and Society is one example of a great touring organization that helps open peoples eyes to the beauty and significance of nature in our lives.
(http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/nationalparks/lowerzam.htm, 2012)

http://www.african-safari-and-travel-advisor.com/canoe-safaris.html

CONSERVATION for ZAMBEZI

Things that will be important towards continuing and improving conservation in the future! 

1.) NGO protection and funding for anti-poaching units
2.) education and local community development

references on this page:

(http://www.zamsoc.org/?page_id=89, 2012)

(http://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/zambezi-river-of-life, 2012) 

(http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/nationalparks/lowerzam.htm, 2012)

HUMANS....

POACHING

Black Rhino killed by commercial poachers for invaluable horn 
(http://www.vfapu.org/VFAPUCommercial.htm, 2008)

Commercial poacher caught red handed selling lepord skin(http://www.vfapu.org/VFAPUCommercial.htm,2008)

Elephant poached for his skin, tusk, feet and hair.
(http://www.vfapu.org/VFAPUCommercial.htm,2008)

Poaching is a result of poverty. Unsustainable fishing and poaching of animals like leopards and elephants. Black Rhinos are endangered and countless of other wild animals that create the diversity of Zambezi; a Rhino could earn a poacher thousands in asia (http://www.zambezitraveller.com/news/african-rhino-poaching-crisis-level, 2012)

Hippo deaths are even causing the clogging of water channels because of the vegetation growth of water marsh vegetation. 

CHANGES the ecological cycle greatly!!! 

HIGH IMPACT ...

Unrest is generated through Zambezi's many choices to prioritize for high impact agriculture, mining, and energy generating over low impact improvements for the Zambezi area, like wildlife tourism and hunting conservation. 

BRIDGES, HOTELS... TOURSIM

(http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/places/kariba-history.htm,2012)
Zambezi Queen Hotel

Bridges and hotels have made wetlands and the zambezi itself much more accessible to people. Even since the 1920's to 1960's many americans were taking trips to Zambezi, by plane and boat!

Today helicopter toursim is very popular along the area. 

(http://www.extraordinaryjourneys.net/blog/activities-victoria-falls,2012)


THE BAD TOURISM

- tree cutting 

-noise pollution

-littering and abuse of sites 

-illicit tour and guide activities 

-unauthorized buildings for camps

-border violation 

THE GOOD TOURISM 

-education on wildlife conservation 

-anti-poaching and protection of wildlife

-safari rides 

(http://thebestofzambia.com/development/local-ngos/charities/conservation-lower-zambezi-clz, 2011)

MANY GROUPS , NGO's and state groups for conservation

(http://www.conservationzambezi.org, 2012)

  -Zambezi Society 

 - Lower Zambezi Conservation- staffed by volunteers and protects the pioneer program of Black Rhino relocation as well as many other programs specific to species and the general protection of the Lower Zambezi

TABLE

of Human Impact on Environment

INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION : Low/Medium 

(the impact of industries are not nearly as serious as many first world countries and can be considered low)

URBANIZATION: Low 

(but this factor is definitely increasing due to the creation of Dams and new energy sources) 

WILDLIFE DISRUPTION: High

 (with the creation of dams, this once greatly wild area is no inturupted and affected by man made barriers that yield in the loss of animal diversity, also poaching has contributed negatively as well) 

OVERALL: Humans have contributed to an UGLY impact on the Zambezi. However with the counter organizations that are working on good tourism and anti-poaching and still the rather wild expanse of the Zambezi, the state of the environment can be considered as OK!

references used on page:

(www.victoriafalls-guide.net/zambezi-river.html, 2011)

(http://www.zambezitraveller.com/news/african-rhino-poaching-crisis-level, 2012)

(http://thebestofzambia.com/development/local-ngos/charities/conservation-lower-zambezi-clz, 2011)

(http://www.vfapu.org/VFAPUCommercial.htm,2008)

(http://www.extraordinaryjourneys.net/blog/activities-victoria-falls,2012)

Presenting...the Past

THE DAM

           In the 1820's the Kololo tribe is pushed out of the north and down to Zambezi. As the tribes conquered and governments were slowly built, the Federation came to rule from 1953 to 1963. The new Federation was a compromise between the Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation. One of the most significant decisions that resulted was the building of the first Dam in Zambezi. An economic benefit and a more convenient source of energy, the Kariba Dam was completed in 1958 and the Cahora Bassa Dam following in 1974. This barrier to prevent the flooding of the lower river, increased the drought of Lower Zambezi (http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/places/kariba-history.htm, 2012)

PHOTO OF TERRENCE SPENCER

Though it created thousands of jobs, employing people on the construction of the dams, there were many thousands of lives that were depending on the very flow of the Zambezi and it's natural ecosystem was the Mozambican villagers' only knowhow to living.
(http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad27)

The Kariba Dam on the Zambezi

(http://www.zambianwatchdog.com/2011/11/18/zimbabwe-has-no-capacity-to-pay-zambia-260m-says-minister/, 2011)

Operation NOAH

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xaKRk870JU&feature=player_embedded#!,2010)

The dam has changed the hydrolical cycle of the river and the region of Zambia, hurting animals and preventing the natural floods from reaching certain areas of the Zambezi. Thus brave rangers came in to save the day in a rescue operation, called Operation NOAH, by relocating 6,000 animals to the mainland from the years of 1958 to 1964. Without the rangers these animals homes would have been flooded and they would have died with the creation of  the Lake Kariba.


References from this page:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xaKRk870JU&feature=player_embedded#!)
(http://www.zambianwatchdog.com/2011/11/18/zimbabwe-has-no-capacity-to-pay-zambia-260m-says-minister/, 2011)

(http://www.zambianwatchdog.com/2011/11/18/zimbabwe-has-no-capacity-to-pay-zambia-260m-says-minister/, 2011)

(http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad27)
(http://www.zambiatourism.com/travel/places/kariba-history.htm,2012)

The long and winding...river

               If you are not a local or without a map, you would surely be lost in the wild here.
Trying to follow the many twists and turns and the whole network of rivers that make up the delta can be ex"stream"ly difficult, so here is your guide:

the close up
(http://www.blessedhopeacademy.com/Geoography/geography106.htm, N/D)

              

the bigger picture
 (http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mana_Pools_National_
Park,_Sapi_and_Chewore_Safari_Areas,_Zimbabwe, 2008)

Along the river there waterfalls that stupefy men traveling and even living amongst the area. Victoria falls is one of the greatest falls and definitely a view that people travel around the world to see.

VICTORIA FALLS FROM 1920's  to 2012 

(http://www.tothevictoriafalls.com/vfpages/formation/zambezi.html)

(http://famouswonders.com/victoria-falls-between-zambia-zimbabwe/, 2012) 

Daredevils swimming atop the Victoria Falls. Locals also go to the top of the falls, risking their lives for another reason, as they spear hunt for fish along the falls. 
(http://scabenga.co.uk/travel/africa/scabengas-guide-to-victoria-falls, 2012)

Sunset upon Victoria Falls 
(http://famouswonders.com/victoria-falls-between-zambia-zimbabwe/, 2012) 

Traveling to the GREAT UNKNOWN!

This is probably your first encounter with the "Zambezi". 

And consisting one of the most unknown and untamed rivers, nature creates this mysterious and wild region. You soon you will see why the these flooded savannas are considered one of the most stunning and diverse ecoregions of the world!!! Inland from the Mozambique, the grasslands and woody areas and freshwater swamps create a mosaic type of ecosystem and allow great diversity in the Zambezi delta region.

And even through the construction of dams like Kariba and Cahora Bassa, the massive floods are still able to occur in the wetlands and  contribute to the diverse habitat. Though there has been a huge loss in population of large mammals, Reedbucks, elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, and the spotted hyena are still spotted and a large part of the ecosystem here, along with marsh birds like the Wattled Crane and the Great White Pelican.
    And in the Zambezi delta we most certainly can not forget the fierce and wild wading Nile crocodiles and hippos. These are all the animals that have adapted to the wild and changing flow of the Zambezi and have learned to thrive or at least survive in the habitat of changing seasons.


In fact there are three very important seasons on the Zambezi:

1.) The Hot Rainy Season: Lasting from December to March, this is the season in which temperature is at least 82°F (28°C) and the weather is humid, hot, and rainy. 

2.) The Cool Dry Winter: Lasting from May to September, it is not as hot as the previous season and is about 75°F (24°C).

3.) The Hot Dry Season: Lasting from October to November, the days are hotter (95°F).
Animals do their best to find water and migrate to areas away from the dry river. Most tourists visit during this time during June to November. 

Elephant along the Zambezi river

(http://www.game-reserve.com/zambia_lower_zambezi.html,2002)

a crocodile basks on a rock along the river
(http://www.game-reserve.com/zambia_lower_zambezi.html,2002)

huge carnivorous hippos in the hot sun 
(http://www.game-reserve.com/zambia_lower_zambezi.html,2002)

wild dogs in the grasslands area of the Zambezi
 (http://www.game-reserve.com/zambia_lower_zambezi.html,2002)

This is the great  ZAMBEZI RIVER, along the coastal regions of Mozambique, which eventually drains out into the Indian Ocean:

(http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/44802735,2005)

"junction of Nambia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana" 

(http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/44802734,2005)

The Zambezi coastal flooded savannas consist of seasonal temperaments, allowing it to be unrecognizable starting in the summer months of June, with the huge Zambezi river dried to the ground by Novermber. However, the magic ultimately occurs annually along Northern Zambia. Here,  the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone creates southward-moving thunderstorms and heavy rains , finally flooding the Zambezi Basin, bringing a huge wave of thriving life and movement back into the Zambezi.

(http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=12856,2004)

References from this page: 

 (http://www.feow.org/ecoregion_details.php?eco=556, 2008) 

(http://worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at0906, 2011)

(http://www.game-reserve.com/zambia_lower_zambezi.html, 2002)