Lake Kariba’s water levels have continued to rise gradually, attributed to consistent inflows from the upper catchment of the Zambezi River, according to the latest update from the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA).
As of 19 May 2025, the lake’s level stood at 477.99 meters, representing 17.33% of usable live storage capacity. This marks a slight increase from the previous week, where the level was recorded at 477.96 meters with 17.12% usable storage.
The ZRA reports that inflows from key monitoring stations upstream have been steadily increasing. At Chavuma, flows closed the period under review at 1,137 cubic meters per second, up from 520 m³/s on the same date last year. Similarly, flows at Ngonye and Victoria Falls have shown significant year-on-year increases, indicating a positive trend in water availability.
This gradual rise in water levels is a welcome development for both Zambia and Zimbabwe, as Lake Kariba is a critical source of hydroelectric power for the region. The increased water levels enhance the potential for power generation, which is vital for meeting the energy demands of both countries.
However, the ZRA cautions that while the current trend is positive, continued monitoring is essential. The authority emphasizes the importance of sustainable water management practices to ensure the long-term viability of Lake Kariba as a resource for power generation and other uses.
Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made reservoir by volume, plays a pivotal role in the region’s ecology and economy. The ongoing increase in water levels offers a glimmer of hope for improved energy stability and economic resilience in the face of climate variability.
Ironic that loadshedding continues unabated…
Conserving the water now, so that you can hsve a lot of power next year, remember it is election year next year, advanced mingalato
Let these rising water levels bring lesser hours
of load shedding.
But what are we doing with this water apart from power generation. I was listening to citizens first program on Prime TV yesterday, the lady on the program says we want to industrialise and work on manufacturing. And she does not even say how, where, what, who. It is such things that have put us in the economic mess we are currently in, where people just come to say things and we vote for them
I watched and I expected the interviewer to probe that industrialisation thing from Citizens First which should have been a full topic. Are we having Dunlop, reckitt and coleman, Vitafoam, Supa loaf, Colgate palmolive back in Zambia. These politicians just say things and when they fail they just insist on saying we have given you free education, as if there was ever an educational crisis before free education. We want food prices and the cost of living to come down. And not the propaganda that food prices are coming down in Livingstone, one district out of over 100 districts