The Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) has made strides in preparations for declaring the Upper Luangwa River as a Water Resource Protection Area (WRPA).
The Authority is in Muchinga Province to engage various stakeholders, including the Provincial Administration, traditional leaders, and local communities of the Upper Luangwa, to emphasize the importance of protecting the Luangwa River’s source.
Speaking when she paid a courtesy on Muchinga Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Matthews Chilekwa, WARMA Acting Director General- Misozi Ngulube-Lumpa called on the Provincial leadership to join efforts in protecting the source of the Luangwa River.
Mrs. Lumpa expressed concern that the Luangwa River source area is being affected by land and forest degradation due to sand mining, agriculture, and other human activities, which are impacting water quality, flow, and the river’s lifespan.
She noted that the upper Luangwa catchment needs to be protected, as Luangwa River is a vital source of water for irrigation, agriculture, and household use in the downstream area of the catchment.
Mrs. Lumpa highlighted that the Luangwa River stands out as one of the last major free-flowing rivers in Zambia and is among the largest and longest unaltered river systems in Southern Africa.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director General also held discussions with various traditional leaders in Mafinga District.
Traditional leaders, including Chief Mwenewisi, Chief Muyombe, and Chief Mwenechifungwe, commended WARMA for its interventions to safeguard the Luangwa River, its source, and its tributaries from further degradation due to climate change and illegal human activities.
Mrs. Lumpa also featured on community radio stations to get firsthand information and engage with communities in Isoka and Mafinga Districts on the importance of protecting the water source.
The engagements in the Province by the Director General are in preparation for a scheduled technical assessment in the Upper Luangwa Catchment, which will involve collecting baseline data on water quality, sediment transport, and stream flow.
This assessment will culminate in a technical paper that will be used to declare the Upper Luangwa as a Water Resource Protection Area (WRPA).
