The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) says the Lake Kariba water level is decreasing steadily and is at 481.07m (39.84% usable storage) as at 30th July 2020.
On the same date in 2019, the Lake level was at 478.87m (23.61% usable storage).
Usable storage, or live water, is the water available for electricity generation purposes. ZRA said in a statement:
The Kariba Lake is designed to operate between levels 475.50m and 488.50m (with 0.70m freeboard) for hydropower generation.
The Lake level has been decreasing steadily closing the period under review [17-30 July 2020] at 481.07m (39.84% usable storage) on 30th July 2020.
Last year on the same date, the Lake level was at 478.87m (23.61% usable storage).
Kariba Lake level is critical in the availability of electricity for Zimbabwe and Zambia since the two countries depend on Kariba Hydro Power plant for power.
ZRA allocates water equally to the two countries, which is reviewed from time to time, depending on the availability of water.
Speaking to The Herald in August last year, when Zimbabwe was experiencing debilitating power cuts due to dwindling water levels at Kariba, ZRA chief executive officer Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said, “If we have good rains upstream of the Zambezi and its tributaries, then we start seeing the water rising from May. If we have sufficient water that leads to water filling in the lake, which means it will be enough for power generation at full capacity for the Kariba South and North power stations.”
However, if water levels are too high to threaten the integrity of the dam wall, then we release water through the floodgates to manage water levels.
This issue has become boring. We are now used to koloboi.
Whether up 16% of 60% we know loadshedding is coming..we know how things work in zambia….
This is why we as pf have given priority to funding alternative sources of energy like solar etc. We need to plan ahead rather than waste time crying about things like upnd and diasporans
Still loadsheding goes on
This is why we in pf are prioritizing funding alternative sources of energy. Whilst the upnd and diasporans continue to cry for alternative government, we are busy redefining the energy sector via alternative sources. This is why we win elections and they don’t
From 1964 we still dependant on
Kariba dam.Cant we diversify to
Other alternatives?We can build
Flyovers but we keep having load
Shedding.
One of the worst countries in Africa. We are a doomed nation.
Am just interested on the last part which reads ‘However, if water levels are too high to threaten the integrity of the dam wall, then we release water through the floodgates to manage water levels’
so it’s not about high water levels but to protect the walls of the dam no matter how it rains! Can someone go back to the last sentence and understand it…..