In the second of his two-part guest blog, geographer and adventurer, Francis Highton, writes about the issues of human-wildlife conflict caused by long-term drought as he experienced when he and a team rowed through the wilds of Mozambique on the Zambezi River.
Since 2016, Mozambique has experienced a persistent drought induced by the strongest El Niño on record. This has put a strain on people throughout the country, especially those water or food insecure, who are already being increasingly creative in accessing what little water is present. Cue, the Zambezi River. In the first part of my guest blog, I wrote about taking part in RowZambezi, an expedition series navigating the entire length of the river in a rowing boat. In 2024, we completed the final stage of this, from Zambia to the Indian Ocean through Mozambique. We encountered several groups of people along this route, from local farmers and villagers to aid workers and agents working to protect and enhance this landscape and the animals that call the river basin home.
The most recent 2024 El Niño events caused lower than average rainfall across swathes of the country. Whilst the drought has had huge knock-on effects on the landscape, nowhere was this more evident than on Lake Cahora Bassa. One of Africa’s largest hydroelectric power projects, providing power for Mozambique and South Africa, this artificial lake sits a few hundred kilometres downstream of Lake Kariba, which itself generates power for Zambia and Zimbabwe. Indeed, by 2016, prior to the first major El Nino event, the levels had dropped more than 5 metres below the lake’s total capacity. When we rowed across it in July 2024, more than 15 metres of lighter sediment was exposed, having previously been submerged. To the western end of the lake, satellite images show a huge expanse of water, but in reality, the lake there is made up of numerous smaller, fast, channels of water. Here, banks of the main channel are eroded quickly as the sediment is small and loose, and yet villages have sprung up on the exposed lakebed as people try to take advantage of living closer to a water source. Lack of water in this region also means that the hydroelectric power plants have also not been generating enough electricity to fully supply demand, leading to power cuts in towns and cities. All these challenges are pushing people to the edge.
Overfishing, has also brought further issues of food insecurity to the area. Illegal fishing is prevalent, where small fishing ropes are strung across vast areas of water on the lake. Too small to see, these would regularly get caught on our boat, and cutting the rope away from our steering apparatus was time-consuming and dangerous, often occurring near to the shore where hippos and crocodiles dwelled. We were lucky – they did not attack. But the local people tell a different story…This being Africa, the Thames the Zambezi is not. There are hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and a vast array of birdlife that call the river home. As growing populations live increasingly close to the river and the lake, what does this mean for the animals that live here? They can be big, they can be dangerous, and they can be territorial.
One of the most visible and dominant inhabitants of the Zambezi River is the hippopotamus. During droughts, hippos, which normally stay close to the shore, are forced to wander further in search of suitable habitats. As the Zambezi’s water levels drop, the remaining water sources become concentrated in smaller areas, bringing humans and animals into close proximity. Hippos often perceive people as threats when they collect water or fish in the shrinking river. This has led to numerous dangerous encounters, sometimes resulting in human fatalities. The scarcity of water also means that fishing communities are competing directly with hippos for the same limited resources, increasing the likelihood of conflict. We had a taste of their speed and ferocity firsthand when we were charged by territorial bull hippos. While we managed to row away with help from support launches and the keen eyes of our guides, I would not want to have been in a slower hull!
Nile crocodiles also thrive in the Zambezi River. The dwindling water sources mean crocodiles tend to lurk in the remaining pools where people go to fetch water, wash clothes, or bathe, leading to a rise in attacks. In fishing communities in particular, the use of rudimentary fishing methods during times of drought can further increase the risk of crocodile attacks, as fishermen wade into shallow waters where these predators lie in wait. Near the town of Zumbo, we saw that the villagers have put in place ‘crocodile kraals’, rudimentary cages made of branches that are put in place around local river beaches. This gives people access to the water to wash clothes, fetch drinking water, without fear of attack.
The final major human-wildlife conflict in Mozambique is with elephants. Farmers living near the river can suffer significant losses as elephants raid their fields, destroying crops such as maize, cassava, and bananas. These can devastate local communities that rely on agriculture for their food and income, worsening poverty in already vulnerable areas. During severe droughts, elephants may also invade human settlements in search of stored food.
All these animals, despite being ferocious themselves, are also becoming victims. One night, whilst camping on an island in the middle of Cahora Bassa, we came across the rotting skull of a hippo. Our local ranger informed us it would not have been animal-animal conflict, but rather humans that killed it. The area we were in was supposed to be a protected nature reserve, and this skill therefore further emphasises the growing conflict between humans and wildlife.
However, our expedition highlighted to us how mitigating human-wildlife conflict in drought is difficult. While it is a challenge, it needs to be prioritised. Mozambique’s governments and various NGO’s have tried to implement strategies and programs that involve local communities in wildlife conservation. We met farmers and landowners who are implementing non-lethal deterrents, such as constructing rows of beehives as fences round crop fields to deter elephants – they hate bees, the stings can be painful to their sensitive ears – or planting hot chillis as barrier plants, which irritate elephants causing them to migrate to other areas. Warning systems, and basic constructions like crocodile kraals, also stop animals from getting too close to humans. Finally, waterholes or boreholes provide humans access to water away from the river’s edge which keep both the animals and humans safer and away from each other.
Yet without greater efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and manage water resources sustainably, the conflict between humans and animals in the Zambezi region is likely to intensify. It was clear to all of us on our expedition that we needed to try and shine a light on the problem, to improve the chances of the Zambezi River catchment recovering. As water sources continue to dwindle, innovative solutions and stronger conservation efforts will be needed to ensure that both people and wildlife can coexist in this challenging landscape.
If you are interested in learning more about Mozambique, climate change, or our RowZambezi expedition, please get in touch at francishighton@gmail.com.
Photography credit to Francis Highton and Daniel Chapman.
