Zambian River Continues to Suffer After 2025 Mining Dam Collapse, Study Finds

On February 18, 2025, a tailings dam owned by Sino‑Metals Leach Zambia collapsed in Chambishi, releasing millions of liters of acidic mining waste into waterways that feed the Kafue River. The Kafue, Zambia’s longest river at 1,576 km, supplies water to roughly half the country and supports critical wetlands such as the Lukanga Swamp and Kafue Flats. A May 2026 study by researchers at Copperbelt University, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, is the first independent assessment of the spill’s ecological impact. Sampling from five affected sites and one control revealed severely compromised water quality and elevated levels of heavy metals—including copper, iron, zinc, lead, and arsenic—in water, fish, sediments, and pasture soils. The data also indicate that these toxins have entered the food chain, posing ongoing risks to local communities and wildlife. The findings underscore the long‑term environmental damage caused by the dam failure and the urgent need for remediation and stricter oversight of mining waste storage.