Zambezi River Basin

Lake Cahora Bassa has a storage capacity of about 63 000 million cu m upon completion of the dam. The lake started filling in December 1974.

The inundation flooded a large area, and had caused a significant change to the surronding habitat. This almost resulted in the disappearance

species. Examples include the invasion of pines

and wattle trees into the montane grasslands of

Mt. Mulanje, the introduction of the Nile tilapia

fish (

Oreochromis niloticus

) to the waters of the

Middle Zambezi, and Kariba weed (

Salvinia

molesta

) into the Chobe system and Lake Kariba

(Timberlake 2000). Probably the greatest impact

on biodiversity in the basin was due to dam

construction. The Kariba, Cahora Bassa, Itezhi-Tezhi

and Kafue dams (constructed from 1950 to 1970)

changed hydrology, modified flooding cycles,

and affected habitat and species composition.

immediate surroundings. There is no marked dry

season, temperatures do not fluctuate greatly,

and habitats include dry forests and grasslands.

Most species found here are widespread along

the East African Coast from Somalia to northern

Kwazulu–Natal in South Africa.

Threats to Biodiversity

There are numerous threats to the basin’s

biodiversity, including land clearance for

agriculture and expansion of human settlement,

dam construction, fires, and invasion by alien

Cahora Bassa is the second

largest artificial lake in the

Zambezi basin, after Kariba.