By Staff Reporter
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), responsible for managing the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, has issued a concerning update on the hydrological situation at the Kariba Dam.
According ZRA Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa, the latest data reveals significant challenges posed by decreased river flows and below-average rainfall, impacting both water levels and power generation.
“The Lake level rose from a 1st January 2024 recorded level of 477.24m with 7.80 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of stored usable water, representing a live storage of 12%, to 477.87m with 10.68 BCM of stored usable water or 16.49% live storage recorded on 29th January 2024.
“During the first week of the month of February 2024, the lake level registered a sluggish increase.
“It began steadily decreasing thereafter due to low inflow and reduced rainfall activity on and around the lake associated with the below average rainfall received under the 2023/2024 rainfall season in the Kariba catchment,” said Munodawafa.
He blamed the crisis to effects of El Niño which he said contributed to below-normal rainfall in the Kariba Catchment.
Munodawafa emphasized the need for strict adherence to water allocation thresholds by Power Utilities to sustain generation until the end of the year.
The hydrological review at the end of March 2024 will evaluate the actual performance of the rainfall season, considering potential adjustments to the water allocation.
