DEPT OF GEOGRAPHY AND RURAL

DEVELOPMENT, KNUST

GEOG 355 LECTURE NOTES:

DRAINAGE OF AFRICA

Seth Agyemang, PhD

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 AFRICA’S RIVERS
• Africa has notable water bodies.
• Important rivers on the continent include:
• Nile-6,500km: Longest river in the world. Drains north east
Africa. Formed when the white nile, which takes its source
from L. Victoria, is joined by its tributary the Blue Nile from L.
Tana in Ethiopia, at Khartoum. Runs northwards and flows
into the Mediterranean sea through a delta in Egypt.
• Congo- 4,667km, 2nd longest in Africa and 5th in the world.
Drains much of central Africa. Originates in Zambia, flows
north, west and south to empty into the Atlantic in DR Congo.
• Major rivers in W/A include Niger, Volta, Senegal, Benue,
Gambia Sassandra, Bandama (Cote d’Ivoire) and Konkoure 4
(Guinea).
• Niger-4,180km, 3rd longest in Africa, longest in
W/A. Has a coastal delta in Nigeria and an
inland delta in Mali. Rises in the Fouta Djallon
and flows north and east before turning south to
empty into the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria
through a delta near Port Harcourt.
• Zambezi-most important river in southern
Africa, 2,540km. Has series of falls, including
Victoria Falls. Takes its source along the
boundary of Zambia and Angola (Angolan mts).
Then flows south and east to empty into the
Indian Ocean in Mozambique.
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• Limpopo-takes its source from the
Lesotho highlands and enters the sea in
Mozambique
• Most rivers end in oceans, but others
end within the continent as inland
drainage. Major inland drainage basins
are the L. Chad Basin, the Okavango
Swamp and the Turkana Basin.
• No major rivers in north central and north
western Africa 6
 LAKES IN AFRICA
• Africa has some of the most prominent lakes in the world-
both natural and man-made. Most are in East Africa.
• Victoria-Africa’s largest natural lake, third largest in the
world, 68,000sq km. Bordered by Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda.
• Others-L. Chad (Chad), Tangayika (Tanzania), Malawi
(Malawi), Bosomtwi (Ghana).
• Tanganyika-Africa’s deepest and world’s second deepest
(1,435 m).
• Man-made lakes: L. Volta-considered man’s greatest lake
(8,500sqkm), Kainji (1, 200 sq km).
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• Lagoons include: Keta (Ghana), Aby (Cote d’Ivoire), St.
Sebastian Bay (South Africa).
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 FORMATION AFRICA’S LAKES
• Faulting: location within the parallel faults of the rift valleys. Long
and narrow, with some very deep. Examples L. Tangayika, and L.
Malawi.
• Downwarping of old plateau blocks, due to earth movts. Large,
irregularly shaped and shallow. Eg. Lake Chad and L. Victoria.
• Occupy volcanic craters. generally small. Found in the highlands of
east Africa.
• Occupation in rock basins formed or deepened by glaciers. Are
mainly small lakes. Found in east Africa, esp on Mt. Kenya and Mt.
Ruwenzori.
• The work of man. Formed due to damming of rivers to generate
hydro-electric power. Examples L. Volta, L. Kariba and L. Nasser.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICA’S RIVERS
• River capture/piracy-through headward erosion.
facilitated by imperceptible character of watersheds.
• Examples include the capture of upper Niger by lower
Niger at Goa, capture of Rocadas of the upper Cunene
River of Angola by the lower Cunene, and capture of
Black Volta by tributary of the White Volta.
• Most change colour in the wet season due to the
sediment they carry
• Seasonal flow- Volumes vary from season to season,
with some completely drying up.
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 CHARACTERISTICS (CONT)
• Rapids and waterfalls- interrupt the course of most rivers,
occurring at head of the youth sections. River Congo- Livingstone
and Stanley falls
• Zambezi-Victoria falls, Nile-Owen falls, Palpawn-Boti falls.
• Shorter and fast flowing coastal, sea-bound streams are
characterised by deep, incised gorge-like valleys, while sluggish
streams flowing into inland depressions flow through broad, open
valleys.
• Trans-border rivers: rivers that flow through two or more countries.
Volta-Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire; Niger-Guinea, Mali,
Nigeria, etc. Zambezi-Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique; Nile-
Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt.
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 ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
• Domestic water supply, for drinking, cooking, washing,
etc.
• Water for industrial purposes-Water for cooling of
engines and as a proportion of the inputs of industrial
products, such as breweries.
• Transportation. For carrying people, agricultural and
industrial goods. Examples are Nile, Niger, Zaire,
Zambezi, Volta. Also used for floating of logs from the
forests to the sawmills and seaports.
• Source of fish. Fishing an important economic activity
among communities living along the rivers and lakes
(Kisangani in Congo, Aswan in Egypt and Yeji in Ghana).
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IMPORTANCE OF AFRICAN RIVERS (CONT)
• Hydro-electric power. Africa has about 40% of the world’s HEP potential.
• Irrigation- facilitates all-year-round agriculture. Ex. Aswan (Egypt) and
Gezira schemes (Sudan)-on the Nile Kainji (Niger)-on the Niger, Richard
Toll scheme on R. Senegal and the Tana River Development Scheme
(Kenya).
• Tourism and recreation. The fascinating natural and artificial features-
gorges and rapids, waterfalls, deltas, HEP, etc. all attracts tourists.
Examples are Victoria Falls on Zambezi and Kabalega Falls on R. Nile.
• Administrative/political boundaries-Black Volta (Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire),
Limpopo (South Africa and Zimbabwe), L. Tangayika (Tanzania and DR.
Congo), L. Nyasa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania), Orange (South
Africa and Namibia), Zambezi (Zambia an Zimbabwe), Pra (between
Ashati and Central regions).
• Sources of minerals-Offin (gold), R. Sewa in Sierra Leone (diamonds), etc.

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 LIMITATIONS TO USEFULNESS
• Physical factors
• Rapids and waterfalls- interrupt courses of most African
rivers impeding transportation. The Nile between
Khartoum and Aswan has six cataracts. Congo also has
about 32 rapids. Livingstone and Stanley falls on R.
Zaire.
• Short and narrow, and also swift flowing. Due to dry
conditions and high rates of evaporation.
• Sandbars/silting at the mouths-Mouths become shallow
and cannot contain large vessels. Also makes
construction of harbours difficult.

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VICTORIA FALLS, R. ZAMBEZI (TOP), RUACANA
FALLS (CUNENE, N. NAMIBIA)

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• Seasonality- Overflow their banks at one time (causing
flooding and destruction of farmlands), and at another
dry up.
• Floating vegetation/marine weeds, such as water
hyacinth. Example on Oti.
• Some flow through areas which are economically
unproductive or sparsely populated. Hence become
underutilized.
• Winding courses: rivers Congo, Niger, Volta and
Senegal.
• Shallow river beds: due to extensive deposition. This
inhibits navigation.

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 LIMITATIONS
• Breeding of insects/transmission of diseases: tse tse flies (sleeping
sickness), similium fly (or black fly)-onchocerciasis/river
blindness, and mosquitoes (malaria). These abound in many
riverine communities in Africa
• Lack of capital to develop irrigation, navigation and HEP facilities.
• Political instability/civil wars
• Low technology
• Lack of co-operation and agreements among countries on
maximum development and utilization of rivers.

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 HEP IN AFRICA
• Since the 1950s many dams and
reservoirs have been built to generate
water for HEP, irrigation and other
purposes. Africa is estimated to have
over 40% of the world’s HEP potential.
The main HEP stations in Africa are:

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 HEP IN AFRICA
Dam River Country
Nkhula B. Hydro Shire Malawi
station
Kariba Zambezi Zambia/Zimbabwe
Carbora Bassa Zambezi Zimbawe
Kafue Kafue Zambia
Ruacana Falls Cunene Angola
Imboulou Dam Lefini D.R. Congo
Inga Congo D.R. Congo
Kainji Niger Nigeria
Akosombo Volta Ghana 19
Dam River Country

Kossou Bandama Cote d’Ivoire

Pangani Pangani Tanzania

Seven Forks Tana Kenya

Owen Falls dam White Nile Uganda

El Roseires Blue Nile Sudan

Grand Ethiopian Blue Nile Ethiopia

Aswan High Dam Nile Egypt

Bui Black Volta Ghana

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 ADVANTAGES OF HEP
• Water for irrigation. Eg Aswan High Dam
• Inland transportation
• Domestic and industrial water use
• Fishing
• Tourism and recreation
• Employment
• Cheap supply of HEP for domestic and industrial uses
• Revenue to government
• Control of floods downstream
• Development of new towns-Akosombo, Tema, etc.
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DISADVANTAGES/PROBLEMS
Displacement of people
• Silting of the lake created by the dam
• Flooding-esp when the dam holds more water than it can carry.
• High cost of construction and maintenance
• High salinity and growth of aquatic weeds
• Excessive evaporation
• Disruption of traditional way of life
• Spread of water-borne diseases
• Submergence of large agricultural areas and forests

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VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES

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THANK YOU

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