PIANC Smart Rivers 2022

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The NAVIGABLE FRONTIER CANAL of the AFRICAN RIFT

This Multipurpose Canal is one of the biggest infrastructure projects for Africa in the 21st Century. It aims at linking 3 river basins, Nile, Congo, and Zambezi.
It will eventually connect all the Great Lakes of the African Rift: Albert, Edward, Victoria, Kivu, Tanganyika and Malawi.
It is a Multipurpose project, as it will involve Hydropower, Navigation, as well as Security and Peace aspects.
Here, we shall describe only Navigation aspects. 
This project presents many challenges to the designer, mostly because of the huge difference of elevation between the lakes, and of the divides to climb, reaching up to 2 000 msl between the Nile and Congo basins.
New techniques have to be considered, such as Waterslope, Blue Wave and Pulsating canalization, beyond the traditional Lock.
The route in the Nile Basin shall start on Lake Albert, elevation 616 (msl), reach Lake Edward at elevation 913 through the Semliki River, and join with Lake Victoria, elevation 1 137, through Lake George, elevation 915, and a divide canal at elevation 1 197.
To cross into the Congo Basin, the route will pass along 2 active volcanoes, with a divide reach around 2 067m, and descend onto Lake Kivu, elevation 1 463. From there, it will reach Lake Tanganyika, elevation 768, through Rusizi River and connect with the Congo-Lualaba, elevation 548, through Lukuga River.
Crossing into Zambezi Basin can be through Tanzania (divide at 1 430m) or Zambia (divide at 1 630m), into Lake Malawi, elevation 477; then, through Lake Malombe and Shire River, the route will reach Zambezi River, elevation 28, and finally the Indian Ocean.
The Report will present the design criteria, as well as tentative alignments, possible canalisation steps and techniques to be used over this route, in particular Waterslope, Blue Wave and Pulsating canalization. These 3 techniques have been invented by members of PIANC, and presented in the Bulletin of the organisation of their time.
This project is promoted by CSP-REGLA, a Congolese association. The first step, Integrated Development of Semliki River, is being studied by the Ministry of Regional Integration of DRC. More details will be given about this particular project, such as longitudinal profile and intended route.

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