Draining Luapula to Save Kafue – A $6 Billion Catastrophe in the Making
The Zambian government is once again on the brink of an environmental and economic disaster, this time with its reckless proposal to divert water from the Luapula River basin into the Kafue River to address the country’s energy crisis.
This ill-advised, multi-billion-dollar project has sparked outrage, with Chief Mabumba VIII of the Ushi people issuing a scathing warning against what he calls a “catastrophic, irreversible mistake.”
In a strongly worded statement, Chief Mabumba exposed the shocking financial burden this project would place on the country. The lowest estimated cost exceeds $6 billion, a staggering amount for an economy already suffocating under $21.6 billion in foreign debt. The chief described the proposal as a wasteful and dangerous gamble, urging the government to abandon this destructive idea before it is too late.
“Solving Zambia’s electricity shortage by transferring water from Luapula to Kafue is not the most economical solution. The research clearly shows that this project is financially unviable. Instead of fixing bad agricultural practices in the Kafue Lower Basin, they want to destroy Luapula,” he said.
The environmental implications of this project are nothing short of a nightmare. According to Chief Mabumba, altering the natural flow of the Luapula River would wipe out entire ecosystems, kill fish populations, and push local wildlife to extinction.
Additionally, Zambia is a signatory to the UNESCO Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971), yet this project blatantly violates the treaty’s provisions on protecting wetlands from destructive infrastructure projects.
The chief also warned about the devastating social impact on communities that depend on the Luapula River for survival. If the government proceeds, thousands of families will be at risk of losing their primary water source, leading to water shortages for drinking, farming, and fishing. Many could face forced relocation, triggering economic ruin and displacement for innocent citizens.
Even more alarming is the fact that Zambia doesn’t need this project in the first place. Chief Mabumba pointed out that the real cause of water shortages in Kafue is not a lack of water but poor agricultural practices. Instead of addressing this root cause, the government is looking for a costly shortcut that will permanently damage another region of the country.
“The government must not gamble with our environment for political expediency. If they are serious about solving Zambia’s power crisis, they should focus on cost-effective solutions like upgrading Musonda Power Plant and fast-tracking the Mumbotuta CX and Luapula hydropower projects,” Chief Mabumba stated.
Upgrading the Musonda Power Plant and investing in existing hydropower projects would provide Zambia with more electricity at a fraction of the cost, without destroying natural ecosystems.
But instead of taking the logical route, the government appears determined to push forward with a disastrous project that will benefit no one except politically connected contractors.
March 26, 2025
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