Kariba Dam levels could reach record low as drought continues

Posted by David Henning on 9 December 2022

Lake Kariba, the world’s largest artificial lake, has recorded low dam levels during the drought, currently standing at 4.6%, according to the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA).

The ZRA limited the generation of Kariba’s hydroelectric power stations to 300 megawatts owing to the reduced water levels, and Zimbabweans are having to endure as much as 19-hour power outages daily.

The dam levels are more than 20% lower than the previous year, according to ZRA’s data, with levels close to those reached in the 1995/96 season, the lowest level recorded since the dam was completed in 1959.

With droughts becoming a recurring thing in Zimbabwe, the government is prioritising drought-resistant crops, Zimbabwe’s Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development John Basera, told Xinhua.

Although there are predictions that the current situation could improve, the rainfall forecast for the upcoming season expected the be ‘normal-to-above normal’ the ZRA commented, where they have ‘optimised the water allocation for 2023.’

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