Lake Kariba Has Only 15% Usable Storage, Low Rainfall Blamed For Receding Water Level
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) said that Kariba Dam has less stored usable water (live storage) as of 06 March 2024, compared to the same date last year as the lake level continues to recede due to reduced inflows and reduced rainfall activity.
ZRA is a corporation jointly and equally owned by the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe, whose primary function is to operate and maintain the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 06 March, ZRA said on 6 March 2024, the dam had 15% usable storage, while on the same date last year, stored usable water was 15.15%. ZRA said:
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 live storage of 12%, to a peak of 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 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.
Subsequently, the recorded lake level on 6th March was 477.66m with 9.72 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of stored usable water or 15.00% live storage.
On the same date last year, the recorded lake level was slightly higher at 477.68m with 9.81 BCM of stored usable water or 15.15% live storage.
Since 2013, Southern Africa has faced recurrent droughts, leading to a drastic decline in water levels at the Kariba Dam.
By 2019, the dam had fallen to a mere 11 per cent of its total capacity, severely affecting electricity generation.
On 28 November 2022, Zimbabwe ceased electricity generation at the South Power Station of the Kariba Dam (Kariba South).
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