Capacity Building for Undertaking Environmental Flow Assessments in Zambia

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Zambia’s Freshwater Programme aimed to build capacity for undertaking environmental flow assessments in Zambia. In order to achieve this aim, WWF initiated an Environmental Flows (Eflows) Capacity Development project with the following objectives:

1. “To design an Eflows module tailored to the local context and in-country expertise to deliver the module;
2. Engage key stakeholders to ensure the capacity building module is relevant, has stakeholder buy-in and is contributing to addressing the capacity gaps in the sector around environmental flows, water and environmental security;
3. To pilot the deployment models for the module in consultation with a local university; and,
4. To design a long-term financial sustainability plan for the module, that should also include WWF’s exit strategy”, (WWF Zambia, 2019).

The project was undertaken between December 2019 and December 2020. WaterNet was assigned the Eflows Capacity Development project by WWF Zambia.  The University of Zambia (UNZA) was the institution to implement environmental flow assessment training after the completion of the WWF Eflows Capacity Development Project. A total of Eighteen UNZA staff and from other institutions participated in this project. WaterNet experts from hydrology, ecology, fish and invertebrates, socio-cultural and geomorphology facilitated both the theoretical and practical aspects of the training.