Sunday, February 20, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
FLOOD FEARS AS ZAMBEZI RISES & KARIBA OPENS GATES
This year's unusually heavy rainfall throughout the region has already resulted in five Southern African countries issuing flood warnings – Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, with river levels in the upper Zambezi and Okavanga rivers already being exceptionally high for this early in the season.
In an attempt to try to manage the water level in Lake Kariba in anticipation of very high inflows, the Zambezi River Authority opened two of Kariba Dam's spillway gates much earlier than usual. Residents of the lakeside town reported that this served to stabilise and hold the lake level steady for only a few days before the water began to creep up again - the inflow obviously already exceeding the outflow rate. A third gate was opened on Saturday 5th February.
Meanwhile, the Zambezi Society has received reports from the Area Manager of Mana Pools National Park that some buffalo and waterbuck are once again stranded on islands in the Zambezi River downstream of Kariba as a result of the outflow from the gates. The Society has moved swiftly to try to avert a potential disaster. Thanks to generous donors the monthly fuel donation to the Parks station in Mana Pools enabled the Parks staff to quickly deploy their boat to patrol the islands in the Zambezi River and attempt to chase any stranded animals onto the mainland while they are still strong enough to swim across the river.
If this strategy succeeds, it will avoid the situation last year, where the Society was forced to launch an emergency appeal for funds, food and transport to assist the Parks Authority to save hundreds of starving buffalo stranded on islands in the flooded river.
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In an attempt to try to manage the water level in Lake Kariba in anticipation of very high inflows, the Zambezi River Authority opened two of Kariba Dam's spillway gates much earlier than usual. Residents of the lakeside town reported that this served to stabilise and hold the lake level steady for only a few days before the water began to creep up again - the inflow obviously already exceeding the outflow rate. A third gate was opened on Saturday 5th February.
Meanwhile, the Zambezi Society has received reports from the Area Manager of Mana Pools National Park that some buffalo and waterbuck are once again stranded on islands in the Zambezi River downstream of Kariba as a result of the outflow from the gates. The Society has moved swiftly to try to avert a potential disaster. Thanks to generous donors the monthly fuel donation to the Parks station in Mana Pools enabled the Parks staff to quickly deploy their boat to patrol the islands in the Zambezi River and attempt to chase any stranded animals onto the mainland while they are still strong enough to swim across the river.
If this strategy succeeds, it will avoid the situation last year, where the Society was forced to launch an emergency appeal for funds, food and transport to assist the Parks Authority to save hundreds of starving buffalo stranded on islands in the flooded river.
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- Pat Dewil and Call of Africa Safaris
- Professional wildlife guide, conservationist, student of Africa politics and observer of human foibles. My stamping grounds are the wilds of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Madagascar and Cameroon and the Central Africa Republic. "Walking on the Wildside" is an attempt to share the stories of the adventures and anecdotes about the interesting people and animals I've collected along the way. www.callofafrica.co.za