Children collect water on the stretch of the Likangala River that flows through Zomba.

The Likangala River originates at Zomba mountain in southern Malawi and flows through both urban and rural areas before it flows into Lake Chilwa, a wetland of international significance being a UNESCO Biodiversity Reserve and Ramsar site.[1][2]

The river has a length of 50 km and flows along varying topography between elevations of 1265 m and 790 m above sea level. Its catchment covers 756 km2.[3]

It is an important river providing water for domestic uses and irrigation. It is also the river that provides water for the Likangala Rice Irrigation scheme which was established in 1969, which caters to about 200 farmers and covers an area of 415 ha in size. Communities living in the catchment benefit from many provisioning services including wild foods, reeds, sand, stone, fish and wood.[4] Water quality of the Likangala varies along its length, and point and non-point sources of pollution impact on it.[5] Where it passes by the city Zomba, effluent from the waste water treatment plans joins the river causing discolorations and algae growth.[6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id¼6678
  2. ↑ "Malawi - Ramsar". www.ramsar.org.
  3. ↑ Chidya, R. C. G.; Sajidu, S. M. I.; Mwatseteza, J. F.; Masamba, W. R. L. (1 January 2011). "Evaluation and assessment of water quality in Likangala River and its catchment area". Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C. 36 (14): 865–871. Bibcode:2011PCE....36..865C. doi:10.1016/j.pce.2011.07.070.
  4. ↑ Pullanikkatil, Deepa; Palamuleni, Lobina; Ruhiiga, Tabukeli (1 June 2016). "Assessment of land use change in Likangala River catchment, Malawi: A remote sensing and DPSIR approach". Applied Geography. 71: 9–23. doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2016.04.005.
  5. ↑ Pullanikkatil, D.; Palamuleni, L. G.; Ruhiiga, T. M. (3 July 2015). "Impact of land use on water quality in the Likangala catchment, southern Malawi". African Journal of Aquatic Science. 40 (3): 277–286. doi:10.2989/16085914.2015.1077777.
  6. ↑ Ullberg, M., 2015. Temporal water quality study of the heavily human-impacted Likangala River, Zomba, Malawi. Uppsala University. http://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:787196/FULLTEXT01.pdf

15°25′S 35°36′E / 15.417°S 35.600°E / -15.417; 35.600

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