Bangweulu Wetlands ecosystem

Bangweulusümpfe are the part of the large Bangweulubassins on nordsambischen plateau consists of Bangweulusee and a large surrounding wetland. In the basin open 17 rivers with a catchment area of 190,000 km ². Drained it is only by a river, the Luapula, but 90 percent of the water evaporate. Bangweulu means place where the water meets the sky.

The Bangweulusümpfe are a floodplain with an extension of 250 kilometers from north to south and 180 kilometers from east to west. Your area is flooded during the rainy season from November to March by 1200 millimeters of rain in the entire catchment area, so that the water level rises by one to two meters. This has the consequence that the shoreline is up to 45 kilometers shifted towards the periphery.

Fauna

Compared to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the area exceeds the number of its bird and animal species. In addition to wildlife, especially water birds can be seen, including the Shoebill, as well as hippos, crocodiles, various antelope species, including the black lechwe, elephant and leopard.

At the southwest end of the marshes of Kasanka National Park, which is operated efficiently and are offered in the safaris is. Outside of the National Park can be hunted. The Black Lechwe are found in the Bangweulu Game Management Area.

Colonization

The Bangweulusümpfe are inhabited since ancient times because it offered plenty of food. Hunting and farming were equally productive. After a flood in 1998 famine broke out. In the higher areas dominated miombo forest, on the deeper prevail papyrus and open water areas.

The soil is fertile and there are hills on which the year can be used on dry. Roads there are none. The waterways are the only transport routes and are maintained by the locals. But are mainly canoes available, the so-called banana boats. So they bring their products to Samfya, the central market square of Bangweulusümpfe, the goods, especially fish, are transported in the Copperbelt from where. This trade is controlled by people from Lusaka. The spread between purchase and sales prices is high.