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Determinants of spatio-temporal variability of water quality in the Barotse Floodplain, western Zambia (SASSCAL Book, Biodiversity & Ecology 6)

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Title Determinants of spatio-temporal variability of water quality in the Barotse Floodplain, western Zambia (SASSCAL Book, Biodiversity & Ecology 6) ?
Author Imasiku Nyambe, Anthony Chabala, Kawawa Banda, Henry Zimba, Wilson Phiri ?
Abstract Developing a water quality database for the Upper Zambezi Basin is becoming crucial for ensuring strengthened water resources monitoring and management in the face of potential threats posed by anthropogenically induced effects of land use and climate change. To realise this goal, it is important to establish factors that control the variation of water quality. Thus, in this study, we analysed water quality and stream sediment parameters to infer their spatio-temporal variation between 2014 and 2015 in the Barotse Floodplain, western Zambia. It was found that the concentrations of heavy metals (i.e., copper, lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, zinc, and chromium) were mostly below detection limits (< 0.002 mg/l) and fell within the World Health Organization (WHO) and Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) guidelines for drinking water. This suggested that current large-scale mining activities taking place upstream of the Barotse Floodplain have no effect on this important water resource. It was the potentially geogenically derived elements, particularly calcium, that were observed to be predominant and appeared to be influenced by physical parameters, especially pH. Seasonal nutrient recruitment was also noted to be active and attributed to land use change and flood inundation patterns. Nitrates spiked up to > 24 mg/l in the year 2014, which experienced higher floods. This value dropped to < 0.5 mg/l in 2015, possibly as a result of below-normal rainfall that led to lower floods. Analysis of bacteriological results indicated that anthropogenic activities affected water quality. All sampling points close to communities registered a too-numerous-to-count (TNTC) concentration of faecal and total coliforms (> 200 coliforms/100 ml). An assessment of the sediment yields predicted by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and measured turbidity suggested the likely existence of a stronger relationship in the upstream areas and near the confluence of the Zambezi and the Luanginga Rivers than within and after the main floodplain. Because of the limited sampling period, however, this phenomenon was not conclusively assessed. Nevertheless, the observed lower turbidity levels and element concentrations in the floodplain may be a strong indicator of a critical role that the Barotse Floodplain plays as a natural sink. ?
Citation Nyambe, I., Chabala, A., Banda, K., Zimba, H. & Phiri, W. (2018) Determinants of spatio-temporal variability of water quality in the Barotse Floodplain, western Zambia In: Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa – assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions (ed. by Revermann, R., Krewenka, K.M., Schmiedel, U., Olwoch, J.M., Helmschrot, J. & Jürgens, N.), pp. 96-105, Biodiversity & Ecology, 6, Klaus Hess Publishers, Göttingen & Windhoek. doi:10.7809/b-e.00310 ?
Dataset
Document Reference Date Type publication ?
Date 2018-04-24 ?
Language English ?
Online Linkage http://www.biodiversity-plants.de/biodivers_ecol/article_meta.php?DOI=10.7809/b-e.00310&art_volume=6&lang=en ?
Associated project SASSCAL (Phase 1) ?
Subproject 191 Developing water quantity and quality database for Western Zambia ?
Dataset Classification
Type PDF ?
Category publication ?
Metadata
Metadata Contact Person Nyambe, Imasiku ?
Metadata Date Stamp 2018-07-23 ?
Identifier
Internal identifier sdp_doc_documents_6458 (Link)