About
This project aimed to establishment a capacity building research framework to promote river health and biodiversity in Southern Africa. It had multiple partners and stakeholders, led by the University of Glashow in the United Kingdom. The project developed rapid assessment protocols for use in Zambian rivers and provide training to help ensure future uptake and development of the protocols. Over 200 sites were sampled across most of Zambia and biotic components included diatoms, aquatic macroinvertebrates and macrophytes. Preliminary rapid biomonitoring protocols developed for macrophytes (ZMTR), Macroinvertebrates (ZISS), and diatoms (ZDTR). Data indicate that Zambian rivers are generally in good health; but potential future pressures exist. Identification guides have been produced and training courses delivered to allow implementation of biomonitoring in future years. This biomonitoring will be useful to understand changes as a result of anthropogenic pressures. Ongoing work is now being led forward (2012 onwards) by Zambian stakeholders at university research and agency level to further develop protocols and identify impacted sites.

Status
Completed

Outputs

• Dallas HF, Kennedy M, Taylor J, Lowe S and Murphy K. 2010. SAFRASS: Southern African River Assessment Scheme. WP4: Review of existing biomonitoring methodologies and appropriateness for adaptation to river quality assessment protocols for use in southern tropical Africa. Prepared for ACP Contract AFS/2009/219013.
• Kennedy MP, Lang P, Grimaldoc JP, Varandas Martin S, Bruce A, Moore I, Taubert R, Macleod-Nolan C, McWaters S, Briggs J, Lowe S, Saili K, Sichingabula H, Dallas H, Morrison S, Franceschini C, Willems F, Bottino F and Murphy KJ. 2017. Niche-breadth of freshwater macrophytes occurring in tropical southern African rivers predicts species global latitudinal range. Aquatic Botany 136: 21-30.
• Kennedy MP, Lang P, Grimaldoc JP, Varandas Martin S, Bruce A, Lowe S, H, Dallas, Sichingabula H, Davidson TA, Briggs J. and Murphy KJ. 2016. The Zambian Macrophyte Trophic Ranking scheme, ZMTR: a new biomonitoring protocol to assess the trophic status of tropical southern African rivers. Aquatic Botany 131: 15-27.
• Kennedy MP, Lang P, Grimaldoc JP, Varandas Martin S, Bruce A, Hastiec A, Lowe S, Alid MM, Sichingabula H, Dallas H, Briggs J. and Murphy KJ. 2015. Environmental drivers of aquatic macrophyte communities in southern tropical African rivers: Zambia as a case study. Aquatic Botany 124: 19–28
• Lowe S, Dallas H, Kennedy MP, Taylor JC, Gibbins C, Lang P, Sichingabula H, Saili K, Ntobolo C, Kabangu K, Day J, Willems F, Briggs JA, Murphy KJ. 2013. The SAFRASS biomonitoring scheme, general aspects, macrophytes (ZMTR) and benthic macroinvertebrates (ZISS) protocols. SAFRASS Deliverable Report to the ACP Group Science and Technology Programme, Contract No. AFS/2009/219013. University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. 19 pp.
• Lowe S, Dallas H, Kennedy MP, Taylor JC, Gibbins C, Lang P, Sichingabula H, Saili K, Ntobolo C, Kabangu K, Day J, Willems F, Briggs JA, Murphy KJ. 2013. Assessment of performance of the SAFRASS pilot river biomonitoring scheme. SAFRASS Deliverable Report to the ACP Group Science and Technology Programme, Contract No. AFS/2009/219013. University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. 27 pp.
• Lowe S, Dallas H, Kennedy MP, Taylor JC, Gibbins C, Lang P, Sichingabula H, Saili K, Ntobolo C, Kabangu K, Day J, Willems F, Briggs JA, Murphy KJ. 2013. Decision Support Scheme (DSS) to assist the use of river health biomonitoring protocols in Zambia: general aspects, invertebrates (ZISS) and macrophytes (ZMTR) components. SAFRASS Deliverable Report to the ACP Group Science and Technology Programme, Contract No. AFS/2009/219013. University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. 16 pp.
• Lowe S, Dallas H, Kennedy MP, Taylor JC, Gibbins C, Lang P, Sichingabula H, Saili K, Ntobolo C, Kabangu K, Day J, Willems F, Briggs JA, Murphy KJ. 2013. SAFRASS Methodology Manual. SAFRASS Deliverable Report to the ACP Group Science and Technology Programme, Contract No. AFS/2009/219013. University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. 16 pp.
• Dallas HF, Lowe S, Kennedy MP, Saili K and Murphy KJ. 2018.  Zambian Invertebrate Scoring System (ZISS): A macroinvertebrate-based biotic index for rapid bioassessment of southern tropical African river systems. African Journal of Aquatic Science 43(4): 325-344.