For the chief, the news of a proposed dam at nearby Ndevu Gorge is devastating. His land, along with that of 11 other chiefdoms, would be flooded or severely impacted by the development. His people would be relocated, and likely not for the better. As proof, he points to the Kariba dam, built downstream on the Zambezi River in the 1950s, which displaced almost 60,000 people and over 6,000 animals. It’s still known as the worst dam-resettlement disaster in African history, and, according to anthropologist Thayer Scudder, most of the people relocated “are still 'development refugees.'”
Furthermore, the developers promise the dam will bring access to electricity and different economic opportunities. However, Senior Chief Luembe warns that even the local communities and chiefdoms that won’t be flooded and displaced may still not benefit from the dam. As with Kariba, they may find power lines passing over their heads, bringing energy to meet the needs of more developed areas.
To be clear, Senior Chief Luembe isn’t against dams. But, like many others, he wants the right dams in the right places—and the Luangwa just doesn’t make sense. “It’s seasonal. It’s sandy. It’s not the right river for power generation. Let us look at alternative locations.” From the top of his head, he lists numerous rivers that can be dammed to generate more power without major impacts on natural habitats and without displacing large amounts of people.
Senior Chief Luembe, WWF and many others, are fighting to keep the Luangwa wild and free. For the chief, his people are at the heart of his actions: “Let’s not take advantage of people’s innocence, but let’s understand their cry. If they don’t want a developmental project for some reasons, let’s listen to them.”