The Rufiji River lies entirely within Tanzania. It is largest and longest river in the country, formed by the confluence of the Kilombero and the Luwegu river. It is approximately long, with a source in southwestern Tanzania, terminating at the Indian Ocean, opposite Mafia Island, in Pwani Region. Its principal tributary is the Great Ruaha River. It is navigable for approximately .
The Rufiji river is approximately south of Dar es Salaam. The river's delta contains the largest mangrove forest in eastern Africa.
History A branch of ancient sea routes led down the East African coast called "Azania" by the Greeks and Romans in the 1st century CE as described in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (and, very probably, in the 3rd century by the Chinese), at least as far as the port known to the Romans as Rhapta, which was probably located in the delta of the Rufiji River in modern Tanzania."The Egypto-Graeco-Romans and Panchea/Azania: sailing in the Erythraean Sea." Felix A. Chami. In: Society for Arabian Studies Monographs 2 Trade and Travel in the Red Sea Region. Proceedings of Red Sea Project I held in the British Museum October 2002, pp. 93-104. Edited by Paul Lunde and Alexandra Porter. .
During the First World War, from October 1914 to July 1915, the river delta was the scene of a protracted naval operation. These were the attempts, and later achievement, by the Royal Navy to neutralize and destroy the German cruiser Königsberg.
Basin The catchment basin for the Rufiji River complex is . + Rufiji Basin catchment area River Areakm2 Percentageof area Percentageof run-off Great Ruaha 83,970 47 15 Kilombero 39,990 23 62 Luwegu 26,300 15 18 Rufiji (lower river) 27,160 15 5 Total 177,429 100 100
Hydroelectric Project
Tanzania president John Magufuli has approved the construction of a controversial new dam and power station on the river at Stiegler's Gorge. The power station is expected to provide 2,100 megawatts of electricity, more than triple Tanzania's existing hydropower of 562 megawatts. Construction of the dam started on July 26, 2019, and it is expected be ready by 2022.
Gallery
Ecological importance The Rufiji River is Tanzania's largest river by catchment area and forms the extensive Rufiji Delta before entering the Indian Ocean. The delta contains one of the largest continuous mangrove forests in eastern Africa and provides habitat for numerous fish, bird, reptile, and mammal species.
The river delivers freshwater, sediments, and nutrients that sustain coastal fisheries and mangrove ecosystems. Seasonal flooding also supports floodplain agriculture and replenishes wetlands throughout the lower basin.
Recent hydropower development in the upper Rufiji basin, including the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, has generated discussion regarding potential impacts on downstream flow regimes, sediment transport, biodiversity, and the ecological integrity of the Rufiji Delta.
References
Further reading Chami, F. A. 1999. "The Early Iron Age on Mafia island and its relationship with the mainland." Azania Vol. XXXIV 1999, pp. 1–10. Chami, Felix A. 2002. "The Egypto-Graeco-Romans and Panchea/Azania: sailing in the Erythraean Sea." In: Society for Arabian Studies Monographs 2 Trade and Travel in the Red Sea Region. Proceedings of Red Sea Project I held in the British Museum October 2002, pp. 93–104. Edited by Paul Lunde and Alexandra Porter. . Miller, J. Innes. 1969. Chapter 8: "The Cinnamon Route". In: The Spice Trade of the Roman Empire. Oxford: University Press. Ray, Himanshu Prabha, ed. 1999. Archaeology of Seafaring: The Indian Ocean in the Ancient Period. Pragati Publications, Delhi.
External links
Map of the Rufiji River basin at Water Resources eAtlas