The Zambezi is one of the most heavily dammed rivers in Africa. More than 30 large dams have already been constructed throughout its basin, at great cost to local people and wildlife. These impacts have been particularly harsh in Mozambique, where the giant Cahora Bassa Dam displaced tens of thousands of people, and severely degraded downstream floodplains and fisheries. Significant work is currently underway to restore the lower Zambezi by improving how water is released from Cahora Bassa. Water release patterns that more closely mimic natural flows will improve the richness of the degraded downstream environment.

Now, the Mozambican government – with China's help – is proposing to build the Mphanda Nkuwa Dam 60 kilometers downstream from Cahora Bassa. Proponents hope the dam will help attract energy intensive industries to Mozambique, but for the foreseeable future, much of its electricity will be exported to South Africa.

The project would set a poor standard for future energy development projects in Mozambique. In addition to displacing rural farmers, Mphanda Nkuwa would make downstream restoration through improved management of Cahora Bassa very difficult to achieve. Mphanda Nkuwa could also exacerbate downstream social and environmental damage by causing daily fluctuations in river level.

The US$2 billion project also poses significant economic risk to Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest nations. Mozambique’s rural poor are in desperate need of electricity, but due to the high cost of extending the transmission grid, this dam will not contribute significantly to rural electrification. Smaller, decentralized options would better suit the needs of Mozambique’s rural majority.

The Mozambican environmental group Justiça Ambiental (JA!) says the project does not meet the guidelines of the World Commission on Dams (WCD). They are calling for a public process to review other energy options and to address the impacts from past dams, as recommended by the WCD.

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Lori Pottinger
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