Evaluation of Long-term Impact of Coal Mining in Zambezi River Basin in Mozambique

Abstract: Zambezi River Basin is an international river basin which sustains life of about 30 million people in its riparian countries: Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The main stream of the river enters to Mozambique with average flow of about 2330 m3/s and reaches the outfall in the Indian Ocean with about 4134 m3/s. This makes both the activities in the upstream countries and inside Mozambique interfering greatly in the water quality of the river. Nowadays coal mining is developing faster in the upstream area of Zambezi River Basin in Mozambique and it may influence greatly the water quality of the river basin in future. This makes relevant to evaluate the long-term impact of acid mine drainage from coal mining in Zambezi River Basin in Mozambique, establish a prediction system and sustainable monitoring program of water quality. There are three coal basins identified in Tete province and almost 30 companies holding licenses to prospect and extract coal in these basins. The Chic