City Of Kitwe Research Articles

A GIS-Based Assessment of Land Cover Changes and Tree Species Suitability for Urban Greening Policies in the City of Kitwe, Zambia

Study objective and design A change vector analysis (CVA) was used to determine land cover (LC) changes and identify tree species that are best for urban greening based on carbon sequestration and air pollution. The study assessed LC change in Kitwe, Zambia, from 1990 to 2015. This study identified the most planted urban tree species along Kitwe’s main roads and highways and evaluated typical urban tree species’ pH, RWC, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, and biomass. Place and length of study The urban trees in Kitwe, Zambia, make up the study population. The city of Kitwe is a thriving centre for mining and commercial activities and is situated in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province. The investigation took place during 2018 and 2019. Methodology The NDVI and BSI indices were created using spectral indices created from Landsat images of Kitwe taken in 1990 and 2015, respectively. The size and direction of the LC were then determined using CVA, and a district database of land cover changes was constructed using GIS. Urban trees from the built-up area were utilised to create an inventory of common urban tree species based on the land cover classification. The anticipated performance index (API), which measures the suitability of tree species for improving air quality, and the air pollution tolerance index (APTI), which measures the suitability of tree species for urban greening, are two of the three assessment methods that were employed. In addition, above-ground biomass (AGB) was employed to quantify the carbon sequestration contribution of the current urban forest. Results The study discovered that between 1990 and 2015, mining activity and urban growth in Kitwe both contributed to changes in the area’s LC. While the central business district still exhibits a persistent presence as a result of the town’s age, having sprung up before the 1990s with more expansions in the new areas, areas being monitored showed low and medium change intensity, mostly in the northeast of the district. In the current investigation, there was a significant difference in the relative abundance of species (p = 0.05). In the study site, Mangifera indica (RA = 12.3%) and Delonix regia (RA = 15.9%) were the two most prevalent species. According to the study, eleven species were found, and each has accumulated carbon in a unique way throughout time depending on its allometry and age. These distinctions in physiological response (tolerance) to air pollution are noteworthy. Bauhinia variegata, Toona ciliate, Gmelina arborea, Eucalyptus grandis, and Delonix regia were all identified as suitable tree species. Conclusion Over the past 25 years, more than 50% of the land cover has changed, with the majority of that change occurring in regions that are now classified as built-up areas. The majority of Kitwe’s urban forests are found in the populated areas and are made up of a variety of ornamental trees that are frequently cultivated for their aesthetic value, attractiveness, and shade. According to the research, this mixture also includes opportunistic urban trees (invasive species) and fruit-bearing trees intermingled with native species. Overall, this study suggests the following species: For urban trees suited for greening programmes aimed at improving air quality and providing shade and beauty in green areas, residences, and sidewalks that have a low air pollution environment, consider Bauhinia variegata, Toona ciliate, Gmelina arborea, Eucalyptus grandis, and Delonix regia.

Spatial suitability analysis for site selection of municipal solid waste landfill using hybrid GIS and MCDA approach: The case of Kitwe, Zambia

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is an issue of increasing concern at both the global and local levels as urban populations continue to rise with a corresponding increase in waste generation. MSWM, including dump-site/landfill site selection, are of serious socio-economic concerns with environmental and health implications in Zambia. Currently, operational MSW dump-sites in most urban centers in Zambia, including that of Kitwe City, were selected based on land availability and not on land suitability. In this work, we applied a hybrid GIS and multi-sectoral/multi-disciplinary approach to classify the city into areas that are most suitable, suitable and not suitable for hosting a landfill. We employed multi-disciplinary technical knowledge from local planners, public health, civil engineers and environmental experts, contrary to past practices. Input data used was obtained from a combination of environmental and socio-economic constraint and factor criteria. The results showed that 333.24 km2 representing 41.69% of the study area was classified as unsuitable, 140.41 km2 representing 17.57% of the study area was classified as suitable and 325.63 km2 representing 40.74% of the study area is classified as most suitable for a landfill. Further, out of 19 possible landfill sites identified as most suitable, 7 met the minimum of 0.54 km2 required for a landfill which can accommodate 8×106 m3 of solid waste projected to be generated in the next 20 years in Kitwe. The results further found that the current Ichimpe dumpsite falls in a zone classified as unsuitable. This study is of profound significance as it enhas contributed to the existing body of knowledge on the selection of scientifically and socially acceptable landfill sites in developing nations. We propose building human and infrastructural capacity and adopting hybrid GIS and MCDA approaches to promote environmental and socio-economic sustainability in landfill selection and operation which ultimately will contribute to meeting SDGs 3, 6 and 11 and the Africa Union's Agenda 2063.

Urban Infrastructure Redevelopments and Loss of Public Commons

The city of Kitwe experienced a surge in the construction of shopping malls between 2010 and 2020. Government’s deliberate efforts for city making and restructuring policy in the built environment has resulted in increased commercial and tourism infrastructure and amenities in the previous decade. These have replaced the city’s public spaces such as Kitwe Zoo and Freedom Park, while small community playing fields dotted around the city are continuously under threat of redevelopment. This paper seeks to explain the physical transformation of Kitwe and the failure by government and local authorities to conserve and protect urban public space in their bid to hasten the redevelopment of the city. Through qualitative case study research approach and purposive sampling, the study will illuminate on the emergence of large-scale shopping malls in Kitwe and their influence in and around the Parklands neighbourhoods and the city of Kitwe. Results indicate that there has been phenomenal urban growth in Kitwe following the construction of the malls. Private housing surrounding the malls have been replaced by high-end office parks and apartments, restaurants and coffee shops, private clinics and other commercial establishments as homeowners cashed an offer they couldn’t refuse. Both Mukuba and Edgar Chagwa Lungu Malls are a result of a process systematically accelerated and facilitated by the state and its institutions. Inevitably, the construction of these spaces is not only changing the urban landscape but it is also changing the social dynamics, the history of the city and remaking the city as a whole.

Extent of Rental Income Tax Compliance by Taxpayers’ in Zambia: Case of Residential Properties in Kitwe City

Government mainly raises domestic revenue through taxation such as income tax, value added tax and customs and excise duty. Residential rental income tax is a component of income tax. There is low rental income tax collections in Zambia caused by among other things low taxpayers’ compliance. In order to obtain insights about the actual realities on the ground and using Kitwe city as a case study area, the research evaluated the extent of residential rental income tax compliance among taxpayers in Zambia. Both primary data was obtained through use of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires while secondary data was collected from both published and grey literature. The research findings showed that there is low rental income tax compliance among taxpayers. Low taxpayers’ compliance is caused by limited taxpayers’ awareness on some aspects of rental income tax issues such as deadlines and modes of payments, tax officials not having the right attitude, the Zambia Revenue Authority website not being easy to navigate and use, high tax rate, erratic deregistration of taxpayers, and lack of a fair tax system. In view of the foregoing, the study recommends that in order to improve rental income tax compliance by taxpayers, there is need to: provide information to taxpayers on rental income tax, conduct training for tax officials, simplify Zambia Revenue Authority website, lower the rate for rental income tax, revert to landlords paying tax, and encourage fairness of the tax system

The \u201cGray Spacing\u201d of Market Vendors and Their Associations and Vendors\u2019 Collective Agency in the Zambian City of Kitwe

Market vendors are often marginalized in urban spaces—they may be harassed, face threats to their workplace security, or lack opportunities to influence urban policy-making. Associations of market vendors have been identified as a potential means to represent vendors’ interests, offering vendors possibilities to improve their working conditions. Fieldwork has been conducted in 2013, 2016, and 2018 to understand the struggles of market vendors and those of their associations in the Zambian city of Kitwe. The paper explores how both market vendors and their associations are positioned in a “gray space” between legality and illegality, unaware if their existence will be approved or sanctioned by the (local) government. The paper argues that the “gray space” in which many market vendors are positioned is a consequence of a lack of suitable alternative and more secure marketspaces. Associations are considered in relation to the political environment in which they operate and their future existence is particularly threatened by a regulation criminalizing them. Not only has this led to the abolishment of a well-known association, but it has also protected some associations whereas others are sidelined. Findings indicate that “gray spacing” and the accompanied changes in the associations jeopardize market vendors’ efforts to organize more autonomously and have isolated their struggles from attempts to organize all informal economy workers under a Zambian umbrella association.

Investigating the suitability and cost-benefit of copper tailings as partial replacement of sand in concrete in Zambia: an exploratory study

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the suitability and cost-benefit of using copper tailings as partial replacement of sand in concrete production. The study was motivated by the accumulation and non-use of copper tailings in dams among them tailing dam 25 also known as TD 25 in Kitwe city of the Copperbelt province in Zambia that take up approximately 111 hectares of unused land.Design/methodology/approachLaboratory experimental approach of concrete production based on water/cement ratios of 0.3 and 0.5 was used because this was an exploratory study designed to establish the primary performance of concrete. In total, 30 concrete cubes were cast based on the two water-cement ratios. In total, 0% to 30% partial sand replacement with copper tailings was used in both mixes with the 0% copper tailings replacement being the control mix and reference point. Other concrete tests included workability, density, compressive strength and element composition analysis.FindingsResults revealed that copper tailings from TD 25 were suitable for partial replacement of sand in concrete. Thirty per cent of sand replacement with copper tailings was established as the maximum replacement amount to produce optimum compressive strength values from both mixes. The drier mix of 0.3 water-cement ratios produced higher compressive strength results of 23 MPa at 28 days of concrete curing with 2.34% as optimum concrete cost reduction.Practical implicationsThe research results provide the cost-benefit analysis and savings that can be attained from using cheaper copper tailings based concrete. The study further provided the quantity of land available for development arising from absorption of copper tailings as a sustainable construction material. The local authority now has statistics and numerical values that it can use to absorb copper tailings as a concrete raw material.Originality/valueThe study provides guidance on optimum concrete grade produced and cost reduction details of copper tailing-based concrete to support for local authorities in suitable land wand waste management using real data.

The Effect of Different Fire Regimes on Soil Properties in Wet Miombo woodlands of Zambia

Miombo woodlands occur on nutrient poor soils and generally experience a warm-to-hot climate with a dry cold season. Wet miombo areas, which receives more than 1,000 mm of average annual rainfall, are distinguished from dry miombo areas receiving less than 1,000 mm of average annual rainfall. Wet miombo woodland occurs over much of eastern Angola, northern Zambia, south western Tanzania and central Malawi in areas receiving more than 1000 mm rainfall per year. Canopy height is usually greater than 15 m, reflecting the generally deeper and moister soils which create favourable conditions for growth. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different fire regimes on soil properties in wet Miombo woodlands of Zambia. The study was conducted in Mwekera burning plots located in Mwekera National Forest No. 6 on the outskirts of Kitwe City. This study has uncovered some interesting relationships between fire and soil nutrients, soil chemical and physical properties. The complete fire protected treatment had significantly greater soil bulky density, organic soil carbon, phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) than other treatments. The late burning treatment had significantly greater soil pH, soil electrical conductivity, Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) than other treatments; however, a loss of soil organic matter during late burning fires likely resulted in increased bulk density and strength, and decreased water infiltration rates. Late burning fires also significantly increased soil pH, concentrations of extractable calcium, magnesium and carbon although to a lesser degree than early burning. Early burning fires did not lower soil potassium contents or alter soil chemical and physical properties. Our results indicate that despite differences in fire regimes, soil moisture, calcium and magnesium contents were not significantly different between early burning and late burning treatments. The results suggest that fire management did not affect soil moisture, calcium, and magnesium contents. Keywords: burning plots, fire regimes, soil properties, wet miombo woodlands DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/66-04 Publication date: June 30th 2020

Adaptive resistance amidst planning and administrative failure: The story of an informal settlement in the city of Kitwe, Zambia

Adaptive resistance amidst planning and administrative failure: The story of an informal settlement in the city of Kitwe, Zambia

Modeling of storm water runoff for Kitwe CBD drainage system using SWMM software

The 2007/08 rain season caused urban flash floods in urban districts of Lusaka, Central and Copperbelt Provinces. In the Copperbelt, Kitwe City town the flash flood was assumed to be caused by rapid urbanisation, faulty city drainage network and poor storm-water management. This meant that Local Authority of Kitwe City Council are required to mitigate and prevent the reoccurrence of urban flash flood, but this need assessment to determine the true cause of urban flash floods. In some countries the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is widely used for planning, analysing and designing storm water runoff and other drainage system in urban areas. SWM is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model which is used for single event or longterm (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from urban areas.This research was to model storm-water runoff for Kitwe Central Business District with the size of 0.146km², containing 115 storm-water inlets and 5 storm water outlets with SWMM software. The hydrological assessment for rainfall data and rainfall characteristics, land cover for drainage characteristics and usage of land as well as the hydraulic assessment for conveyance network elements were used.Modelling and simulation was conducted using various situations as obtained on project site and these included completely blocked, partially and open drainage system situations, whereas, perfect condition was used to assess the operation of the software. After simulation, status report indicated that urban flash flood experienced in Kitwe CBD during the 2007/08 rainfall was due to lack of drainage maintenance.Keywords: Urban flash floods, Storm Water Management Model, hydrological assessment, Hydraulic assessment, drainage maintenance and modeling/simulation

Constraining Factors in Realizing Strategic Plan Objectives by Local Authorities in Zambia: Case of Kitwe City Council

The purpose of the study was to determine the constraining factors in realizing strategic plan objective by Kitwe City Council in Zambia. This was a case study that focused on the strategic plan of the Council for the period 2012 to 2016. The research used qualitative methodology that also employed grounded theory methods during the data collection, i.e., interviews and documentary reviews. Content analysis was the main analytical tool utilized for the analysis. The results of the study indicated that, the City Council had an ambitious plan which was unrealistic in the sense that within the plan period, too many priority projects were incorporated in the plan. Furthermore, the implementation of the plan lacked committed leadership drive and visioning at the departmental level of the institution, lacked ownership of the strategic plan document, inadequate financial resources generated by the Council to finance the projects, non-coordination and harmonization of strategies in implementation of strategic activities by the departments within the \council, political interference and non-collaboration of potential cooperating partners affected the implementation of the plan, hence achieving virtually insignificant proportion of the expected outcomes of the strategic objectives. The findings of the study provide significant and valuable information to all management of Local Authorities in Zambia and perhaps in the developing economies that perceive that formulation of strategic plan is significant to improve the service delivery to their citizenry under their areas of jurisdiction.

Municipal solid waste management in Kitwe City

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the present municipal solid wastes (MSWs) management system, from an engineering management (EM) perspective, for the City of Kitwe while proposing a levers-driven sustainable municipal solid waste management (MSWM) model focussing on improving waste management (WM).Design/methodology/approachThe research work involves four stages. First, a comprehensive review of literature is conducted on MSWM. Second, structured interviews are conducted with key experts in solid waste management in the City of Kitwe in order to enhance the knowledge inputs. Third, direct observations and an interview with a WM driver are conducted in order to understand; the collection, disposal and treatment options for MSWs. Lastly, a sustainable model for managing MSWs is proposedFindingsThe research findings indicate that the existing MSW system for the city is highly unsustainable and lacks EM methodologies. There are still a number of challenges in the management of MSWs which include: lack of proper collection and storage of MSWs; lack of an engineered landfill; lack of waste recovery and treatment systems; and lack of public education aimed at reducing and separating MSWs.Practical implicationsA correct and detailed database for waste generation, collection, treatment and disposal is needed for the City of Kitwe. The system is necessary for WM resources allocation as well as for planning sustainable WM projects. The proposed model has been developed based on the actual observations, data collection and analysis.Originality/valueThe research identifies a gap in the management of MSWs for the City of Kitwe. This work is original as no similar MSW model has been proposed globally and specific for a developing economy such as Africa.

GSM and GPS Based Garbage and Waste Collection Bin Overflow Management System for Kitwe City Council

GSM and GPS Based Garbage and Waste Collection Bin Overflow Management System for Kitwe City Council - written by Willie Ngosa , Kapata Lucy , Katawa Shadrick published on 2018/04/04 download full article with reference data and citations

Exploring the Interface Between Formal and Informal Real Estate Markets in Facilitating Legally Binding Transactions in Zambian Cities

Informality is the order of the day in most cities in the Global South. This paper explored the puzzle whereby informal activities result in legally binding real estate transactions in the city of Kitwe in Zambia. The paper conceptualises the “market” from an institutional economics perspective as a system to coordinate human activities and not merely as the interaction of supply and demand. Using evidence from Chimwemwe, a formal municipal township in the city of Kitwe, and a questionnaire survey amongst registered and unregistered real estate agents, the study found that most “market transactions” in low-cost formal settlements are facilitated through social networks of friends, relatives, and neighbours and through informal agents, and minimally through formal agents. These transactions are then legally registered at the Council Deeds Registry for legal transfer. Despite the existence of the Estate Agents Act of 2000, and the establishment of the Zambia Institute of Estate Agents (ZIEA), the study found that most informal agents have problems complying with the registration provision, thus leaving them to operate illegally. Nonetheless, these informal agents provide a service in low-income settlements through procedures which mirror formal ones, resulting in legally recognised and binding transactions and at cost commensurate to the incomes of their clients. However, the negative traits exhibited by some informal agents cannot be overlooked, thus it is necessary to re-examine the law to understand what is preventing informal agents from complying with this provision on registration.

Assessing the Environmental and Socio-Economic Risk Factors of Climate Vulnerability in Low-Income Settlements of Kitwe City in Zambia

Recent findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have clearly shown that climate change represents an urgent and irreversible threat to human societies and the planet and especially to the social and economic development of Africa.Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine and identify the risk factors associated with climate vulnerability in selected slum settlements of Kitwe city in Zambia. The methodological approach utilized household questionnaire surveys of one middle-income (Kwacha East) and four low-income (Ipusukilo, Mulenga, Chipata and Kawama) settlements to determine the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) based on exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of the settlements. The results show that the elements of exposure in Kitwe are hot temperatures, heavy rain falls, flooding, gusty winds and occasional colder temperatures. Ipusukilo and Chipata have the highest CVIs and overall, the CVI for the middle-income settlement is almost five times lower than the average CVI for all the four low-income settlements. This relatively heightened sensitivity to climate-induced shocks is conditioned by very low levels of adaptive capacity within the low-income settlements. However, the social capital dimension of adaptive capacity is found to be very low across all the five settlements. Therefore, empirically, the main constraint to climate resilience is the low level of organizational capacity to mobilize both internal and external resources for technological capacity-building, human resource development and wealth-creation.

Major Obstacles to Sustainability in the Plastic Industry

Sustainability focuses on taking into account in our work and in our daily lives all the resources upon the planet. The plastic industry is one of the major users of non-renewable resources and aspects of sustainability have to be considered. Plastic solid waste (PSW) recycling is one of the most important remedies available for sustainable plastic waste recovery and yet the plastic industry faces a number of obstacles to recover this resource. A survey was conducted on a number of plastic manufacturing companies in Kitwe city in Zambia to identify the major obstacles affecting sustainable PSW recovery and recycling. A fishbone diagram was used to categorize the major obstacles into the causes and finally the causes were then grouped according to their economic, environmental and social impacts on these companies.

Household lifestyle, energy related practices and perceptions of energy efficiency: Evidence from Kitwe, Zambia

Southern Africa is noted for not only constant power shortages but also poor access to electricity. In Zambia, for example, 75% of the population does not have access to electricity. This is partly because although Zambia has one of the lowest energy tariffs in Southern Africa, when compared with household monthly income, the resource is still reasonably unaffordable. Therefore, there is need to find innovative ways of reducing energy cost. Recent studies have indicated that there are patterns that show that there is a relationship between households' lifestyles and energy consumption. This means that understanding household lifestyles and how that impacts on energy use would be crucial in helping occupants to change their behaviours. This would result in the minimisation of energy consumption and thus a reduction in energy bills. However, there is a dearth of scholarly literature about households' lifestyles and their impacts on energy consumption in most developing countries including Zambia. This study investigates the perceptions of different lifestyles on household energy consumption and knowledge about energy efficiency in the city of Kitwe, the second largest city in Zambia. Motivation and barriers to energy efficiency have also been investigated. To achieve this, a mixed research approach was adopted. Firstly, a quantitative closed structured questionnaire instrument was used to collect data from 59 households in Kitwe. Secondly, mini-focus group discussions (average size of 5) ― brought about by the curiosity of residents and hence the contribution as families per household ― were undertaken in the informal settlement. The major findings are that households are generally motivated to implement energy saving strategies like covering pots when cooking, switching off lights in rooms that are not in use and that more information is needed as lack of knowledge and ‘landlord control' were identified as some of the barriers to energy efficiency.

Prevalence and Correlates of Hypertension among Adults Aged 25 Years or Older in a Mining Town of Kitwe, Zambia

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The trend towards a higher burden of non-communicable chronic diseases in developing countries is of great concern as it adds to the burden of communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of hypertension among adults in the City of Kitwe, Zambia. Methods: A modified WHO STEPs (STEPwise Approach to Surveillance) method was used to collect data through a community-based survey among persons aged 25 years or older living in urban Kitwe, Zambia. Prevalence of hypertension was estimated and compared between males and females. Odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and their 95% confidence intervals were used to establish associations between exposure factors and hypertension. Results: Altogether, 1627 persons participated in the survey of which 57.7% were females. Overall, 32.3% (33.5% of males and 31.1% of females, p=0.350) were hypertensive. Age and body mass index were significantly associated with hypertension. Compared to participants who were of age 45 years or older, participants who were below the age of 45 years were less likely to have hypertension (AOR=0.53, 95% CI [0.45, 0.62]) for 25-34 years age group, and AOR=0.61, 95% CI [0.50, 0.74]) for 35-44 years age group). Participants who had BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m2 were 50% (AOR=0.50, 95% CI [0.32, 0.77]) less likely to have hypertension compared to participants who had BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more. Meanwhile, participants who had BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/m2 were 33% (AOR=1.33, 95% CI [1.05, 1.69] more likely to have hypertension compared to participants who had BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that hypertension is prevalent among urban residents in Kitwe, Zambia. Effective prevention strategies including interventions to ensure lower BMIs, should be implemented, taking into considerations the risk factors identified in this study.

Local Development Responses in Zambia:The Case of Kitwe

With the expansion of decentralisation in the country, Zambia is recording agrowth in planning initiatives for Local Economic Development (LED). This article examines LED activities in the city of Kitwe, against the backdrop of regional and local economic decline, two different sets of responses may be recognised: (i) local government led initiatives and (ii) ‘bottom up’ LED responses arising from the community level. These initiatives are of limited scope and are weakened by institutional and fi nancial shortcomings

Child spacing and contraception among the poor in Zambia

Child spacing and contraception among the poor in Zambia Vijayan K Pillai1, Rashmi Gupta21School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA; 2Department of Social Work, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USAAbstract: For decades, family planning programs have targeted women in developing countries. These programs bestow a great deal of autonomy on women with respect to fertility decision making. It is well known that a number of close relatives in multigenerational and extended family systems influence women’s fertility decisions with respect to child spacing and contraceptive use. One approach toward a systematic study of fertility decision making is to explicitly consider the husband’s influences on fertility decision making. This study examines the effects of a selected number of factors on the desired birth interval lengths. We interviewed husbands and wives separately from 165 randomly selected households from two poor neighborhoods in the city of Kitwe, Zambia. Three ordinal birth interval groups were obtained for both husbands and wives separately. The effect of selected factors on the likelihood of influencing the three groups was examined using ordinal logistic regression methods. Data from husbands and wives were analyzed separately. Qualitative methods such as semistructured interviews were used to gather extensive information on the various factors that husbands and wives perceive to influence their child spacing decisions. We found differences in accounts with respect to child spacing between husbands and wives, likely due to a lack of communication. A gender-sensitive approach is necessary to promote spacing methods among poor couples in Zambia.Keywords: child spacing, contraceptive use, correspondence analysis, couple decision making

Effects on tropical fish of soil sediments from Kafue river, Zambia.

Kafue river, an important tributary of the Zambezi river is located in a highlyexploited area in the Copperbelt region of northern Zambia. Mining and otherindustrial activities are highly concentrated in this part of the river. Copper andcobalt production is important especially at the city of Kitwe and in surroundingareas. Other minerals mined are zinc, lead and gold, although in small quantities.River sediments may serve as a trap for various anthropogenic pollutants includ-ing metals and some metals i.e. copper and cobalt are present in high concentra-tion in feral fish caught in the Copperbelt area (Mwase et al masters thesis, 1984).In reproduction, early life stages are sensitive steps in the animal life cycle. Manystudies examining sensitivities of early life stages have revealed that larval stagesare the most sensitive to copper (Hazel and Meith, 1970; McKim 1977; Rice et al.,1980)In the present study, sediment from environmentally different localities of theKafue river were toxicologically evaluated by a microtoxicity bioassay and by dif-ferent tests systems of three species of tropical fish.MATERIALS AND METHODSThree different localities along Kafue river were selected for this study, extendingfrom Kitwe in the north, Itezhi-tezhi in the central, to Kafue town in the south (Fig.1). Sediment samples were collected using Ekman sediment sampler and stored inplastic containers at 4 degrees centigrade. In order to determine the toxicity of sed-iments collected along the Kafue river, three different tests were conducted.The microtoxicity (MICROTOX TM) test was used to measure the acute toxicityof the different sediment samples i.e. Kafue river near Kitwe, Lake itezhitezhi,and near Kafue town. The method is based on the light generating process of thebacteria, which is related to their metabolic activity. The EC-50 value, i.e. theconcentration that causes 50% light reduction was determined and the measuredeffect recalculated into toxic units (TU).