KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Problems of water transport in Africa
Africa has many long rivers such as die Orange, Zambezi, Nile, Zaire, Niger and Senegal rivers. These rivers, although they offer the cheapest form of transport, have not been fully utilized because they present a number of problems.
Rapids and waterfalls: Rivers Nile, Zaire and Zambezi have rapids and waterfalls. These hinder transportation although they have formed good bases for hydroelectric production. In some countries, such as Zaire, short railway lines have been constructed round Ac waterfalls or rapids in order to link up the navigable sections of me rivers. The Zaire river, which has an even flow throughout the year, has only 2,700 km navigable out of the total 4,350 km.
Vegetation: Masses of floating vegetation is another problem faced by river transport. There are weeds on River Zaire and sudd on die Nile. To overcome this floating vegetation, animals have been introduced which eat this vegetation. An example of these animals is the sea cow. Another solution to the floating vegetation is the building of canals which by-pass (he vegetation. The sudd, found on the river Nile has been by-passed by a canal to overcome this problem.
Seasonality: Most of Africa lies within a wet and dry climatic zone known as Savanna Climate. The rivers which pass through this Savanna zone, which makes 40% of Africa, are affected by seasonality. They become shallow during the dry season. Rivers such as the Niger have been affected by (his problem of seasonality. To overcome (his problem, dams with locks have been built, and this has helped to control the water level throughout the year. Reforestation programmes have been introduced in water-catchment areas.
Lack of trade and political co-operation: One of the problems facing lake transport is the lack of political co-operation between countries sharing the lakes, an example being the countries of East Africa. Most of the lakes are too small to be useful for trade- African countries need to diversify their produce and to increase their political and trade co-operation so as to enjoy (he benefits of a greater volume of inter-ten-i tonal trade. Besides, African countries produce more or less similar goods and therefore have limited inter-territorial trade.
trade of copper and imports of manufactured goods. On and off, throughout the last 15 years, Zambia's trade routes to the sea have been blocked. Tazara was meant to partially solve this problem. Indeed by 1977 Dar es Salaam was handling over 40% of Zambia's trade. There have been problems. Dar es Salaam's handling facilities were not up to the swift throughput of Zambia's trade as well as trade from Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire.
Kapiri Mposhi railhead sometimes took a month to turn round wagons and send them back. Short of foreign exchange, Zambia sometimes cannot pay Tazara and Dar es Salaam Harbour Board for services rendered. Rolling stock keeps breaking down, the Chinese powered locomotives weren't up to the challenge presented by Tanzania's Southern Highlands and frequently broke down. Because of the delays and uncertainties on Tazara and on other routes through Mozambique and Angola, both Zambia and Zaire have had to use South African routes. Apart from Zimbabwe Railways and S.A.R, another route used is called the 'Zeerust Connection'. This is a road trucking ^route between Zeerust in South Africa (just across the border from Gaborone) through Botswana to Kazungula and then to Lusaka. Gradually, however, Tazara and Dar es Salaam delays are becoming shorter and efficiency is being improved. This is vital because of civil unrest in Mozambique, Malawi and Angola in which Zambia's alternative rail routes are situated.
There could be further benefits. The Southern Highlands of Tanzania are almost as rich and fertile as those of Kenya. Rainfall is good and reliable, the volcanic soils very fertile and capable of growing large quantities of coffee, tea, maize, bananas, pyrethrum, and wheat as well as supporting a large dairy farming industry but previously transport was bad. The main roaxis were poor and feeder roads were worse.
There were no railways and the whole region was inaccessible to a major port. Now however, the position is very different as there is a new tarmac main road and the Tazara as well. Agriculture could now expand because trade will be possible. That is not all. There are large coal and iron ore deposits either side of Mbeya, to the north (iron ore) and south (coal). With the aid of the Chinese, rail links to these deposits will bring the coal and iron together near Mbeya for the establishment of a basic iron and steel industry: the only one in Black Africa for over 1000 kilometres in any direction. What is more there are titanium deposits near Mbeya. This is a metal used in the production of high class steels.
The Tazara also goes through the Kilomebero Valley in Tanzania. Already plans are in action to increase its already great sugar and rice areas, reclaiming more land from the mosquito-infected swamps. 3500 hectares of new farmlands, many new villages and new feeder roads to the railway will be developed in phase two of the project.
Not only will Tanzania approach self sufficiency in sugar and rice, but there will be more jobs and prosperity. The Tazara could even bring more work to Mtwara on the south coast and prosperity to the Songea and Njombe regions of southern Tanzania when the modernised road link is opened between Sorgea and the Tazara at Makumbako.
The Tazara is now helping another all but landlocked country: Zaire, who, despite her size, has a coastline of less than 50 kilometres. The Tazara now carries Zaire's small soda ash and salt exports and, once Dar es Salaam can handle it, will take her copper as well.
Zaire is a potential economic giant. But apart from Shaba province and the alluvial diamonds of Tshikapa and Mbuji Mayi her mineral resources are virtually untapped. One major reason is the absence of an efficient transport system. Products from the interior have to undergo at least five changes, in a disjointed pattern of rail and river transport if the goal is Kinshasa, Matadi and
Rapids and waterfalls: Rivers Nile, Zaire and Zambezi have rapids and waterfalls. These hinder transportation although they have formed good bases for hydroelectric production. In some countries, such as Zaire, short railway lines have been constructed round Ac waterfalls or rapids in order to link up the navigable sections of me rivers. The Zaire river, which has an even flow throughout the year, has only 2,700 km navigable out of the total 4,350 km.
Vegetation: Masses of floating vegetation is another problem faced by river transport. There are weeds on River Zaire and sudd on die Nile. To overcome this floating vegetation, animals have been introduced which eat this vegetation. An example of these animals is the sea cow. Another solution to the floating vegetation is the building of canals which by-pass (he vegetation. The sudd, found on the river Nile has been by-passed by a canal to overcome this problem.
Seasonality: Most of Africa lies within a wet and dry climatic zone known as Savanna Climate. The rivers which pass through this Savanna zone, which makes 40% of Africa, are affected by seasonality. They become shallow during the dry season. Rivers such as the Niger have been affected by (his problem of seasonality. To overcome (his problem, dams with locks have been built, and this has helped to control the water level throughout the year. Reforestation programmes have been introduced in water-catchment areas.
Lack of trade and political co-operation: One of the problems facing lake transport is the lack of political co-operation between countries sharing the lakes, an example being the countries of East Africa. Most of the lakes are too small to be useful for trade- African countries need to diversify their produce and to increase their political and trade co-operation so as to enjoy (he benefits of a greater volume of inter-ten-i tonal trade. Besides, African countries produce more or less similar goods and therefore have limited inter-territorial trade.
trade of copper and imports of manufactured goods. On and off, throughout the last 15 years, Zambia's trade routes to the sea have been blocked. Tazara was meant to partially solve this problem. Indeed by 1977 Dar es Salaam was handling over 40% of Zambia's trade. There have been problems. Dar es Salaam's handling facilities were not up to the swift throughput of Zambia's trade as well as trade from Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire.
Kapiri Mposhi railhead sometimes took a month to turn round wagons and send them back. Short of foreign exchange, Zambia sometimes cannot pay Tazara and Dar es Salaam Harbour Board for services rendered. Rolling stock keeps breaking down, the Chinese powered locomotives weren't up to the challenge presented by Tanzania's Southern Highlands and frequently broke down. Because of the delays and uncertainties on Tazara and on other routes through Mozambique and Angola, both Zambia and Zaire have had to use South African routes. Apart from Zimbabwe Railways and S.A.R, another route used is called the 'Zeerust Connection'. This is a road trucking ^route between Zeerust in South Africa (just across the border from Gaborone) through Botswana to Kazungula and then to Lusaka. Gradually, however, Tazara and Dar es Salaam delays are becoming shorter and efficiency is being improved. This is vital because of civil unrest in Mozambique, Malawi and Angola in which Zambia's alternative rail routes are situated.
There could be further benefits. The Southern Highlands of Tanzania are almost as rich and fertile as those of Kenya. Rainfall is good and reliable, the volcanic soils very fertile and capable of growing large quantities of coffee, tea, maize, bananas, pyrethrum, and wheat as well as supporting a large dairy farming industry but previously transport was bad. The main roaxis were poor and feeder roads were worse.
There were no railways and the whole region was inaccessible to a major port. Now however, the position is very different as there is a new tarmac main road and the Tazara as well. Agriculture could now expand because trade will be possible. That is not all. There are large coal and iron ore deposits either side of Mbeya, to the north (iron ore) and south (coal). With the aid of the Chinese, rail links to these deposits will bring the coal and iron together near Mbeya for the establishment of a basic iron and steel industry: the only one in Black Africa for over 1000 kilometres in any direction. What is more there are titanium deposits near Mbeya. This is a metal used in the production of high class steels.
The Tazara also goes through the Kilomebero Valley in Tanzania. Already plans are in action to increase its already great sugar and rice areas, reclaiming more land from the mosquito-infected swamps. 3500 hectares of new farmlands, many new villages and new feeder roads to the railway will be developed in phase two of the project.
Not only will Tanzania approach self sufficiency in sugar and rice, but there will be more jobs and prosperity. The Tazara could even bring more work to Mtwara on the south coast and prosperity to the Songea and Njombe regions of southern Tanzania when the modernised road link is opened between Sorgea and the Tazara at Makumbako.
The Tazara is now helping another all but landlocked country: Zaire, who, despite her size, has a coastline of less than 50 kilometres. The Tazara now carries Zaire's small soda ash and salt exports and, once Dar es Salaam can handle it, will take her copper as well.
Zaire is a potential economic giant. But apart from Shaba province and the alluvial diamonds of Tshikapa and Mbuji Mayi her mineral resources are virtually untapped. One major reason is the absence of an efficient transport system. Products from the interior have to undergo at least five changes, in a disjointed pattern of rail and river transport if the goal is Kinshasa, Matadi and