Flooding in Southern Province in Zambia

During the 2006-2007 rainy season, close to 70 percent of Zambia experienced widespread flooding caused by excessive rains, especially in the low lying areas of the country. The water tables remained relatively high throughout most of 2007. In the 2007-2008 rainy season, the country again received above normal rainfall with most of it concentrated in the south-western part of the country. The highest rainfall to date was 459 mm in Southern Province recorded at Maamba Meteorological station.

The heavy rainfall has caused floods in 34 districts of the country. The affected districts include Sinazongwe, Choma, Mazabuka, Siavonga, Itezi-tezi, Kazungula and Gweembe in the Southern Province; Mufumbwe, Kabompo, Chavuma and Kasempa in North Western Province; Lukulu, Kaoma, Senanga, Kalabo, Shang’ombo and Sesheke in Western Province; Kafue, Luangwa and Chongwe in Lusaka Province; Mumbwa, Kapiri Mposhi, Mkushi, Serenje and Chibombo in Central Province, Lufwanyama, Mpongwe and Masaiti on the Copperbelt and Milenge in Northern Province.

The worst affected districts are Sinazongwe, Siavonga, Mazabuka, Namwala and Gwembe in Southern Province. An initial assessment conducted by local government authorities in the districts found extensive damage to infrastructure disrupting the livelihoods of the population. In Mazabuka district, 1,575 people were displaced in the Magoye and Chitondo areas following the bursting of the Magoye river.

The floods have caused significant damage and destruction to roads, leaving some communities completely inaccessible by road from the outside. Destroyed roads and bridges include the Batoka Maamba road in the Sinanzongwe district, the Lusitu bridge on the Lusaka - Siavonga road and the Kwatwezele bridge on the Lusaka - Chirundu road. In the Namwala district, the floods have caused damage to the Naminwe bridge and the Kabulamwanda dam.

The damage reported in other districts includes the flooding of crop fields, water wells and boreholes. The floods have also damaged or destroyed local roads and have cut some areas off from the outside. Community schools have also been damaged and the health situation is likely to deteriorate in the coming days as a result of the floods.

The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit under the Office of the Vice President, cooperating partners and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are closely monitoring the situation in the 34 districts and are in the process of conducting rapid assessments of the areas. The information collected will form the basis for establishing a National Disaster Response and Contingency Plan.

The ACT forum in Zambia consisting of Christian Aid (CA), Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), DanChurchAid (DCA), Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) are planning to develop an ACT appeal to assist communities affected by the floods in Southern Province. The forum has dispatched an assessment team to the province to determine the extent of the damage, the number of people affected and the immediate needs.

Based on previous flood responses by the members, the likely short term response will be to provide affected communities with non-food items (NFIs) such as clothing materials and blankets, temporary shelter materials, insecticide treated mosquito nets and water treatment supplies. In the medium term, rehabilitation activities in food security and capacity building of the affected communities in disaster management and preparedness will likely be required. Response coordination and the selection of communities will be done in collaboration with the District Disaster Management Committees, Village Satellite Committees and other stakeholders including ACT member churches in the areas.  

The ACT Zambia Forum will be in contact with the ACT Coordinating Office (CO) and plans to submit an ACT appeal in the coming days.

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).