A severe drought, worsened by climate change, has led to a critical drop in water levels at Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake, causing an unprecedented energy crisis in southern Africa.
Lake Kariba, shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe, is a key source of hydropower for both nations, however with water levels plummeting to just 8% of live storage capacity, the situation has become dire.
Zambia’s power utility, ZESCO recently announced that it will shut down its Kariba North Bank Power Station on September 14, 2024, due to critically low water levels. This marks only the second time in history that power generation has been halted at the lake since its creation in 1959. The first shutdown occurred in November 2022 on the Zimbabwean side, also due to low water levels.
Lake Kariba’s water levels have been steadily declining over the past few years, a trend attributed to climate change-related droughts and increased evaporation from rising temperatures. The Zambezi River, which feeds the lake, has suffered significantly, leading to a reduction in the inflow necessary to sustain hydropower generation.
Currently, Zambia’s power generation at Kariba has dwindled to 98 MW, while Zimbabwe’s output has fallen to 214 MW, far below their respective capacities of over 1,000 MW each.
As the region grapples with this crisis, climate experts say there is an urgent need to diversify energy sources.
“Reliance on hydropower is increasingly risky. We need collaborative efforts to invest in alternative energy sources, or the economic and social costs will be catastrophic,” said climate expert Collins Mutizwa.
In recent times Zimbabwe has been facing blackouts extending beyond 12 hours. With the rainy season still months away, experts warn that Zimbabwe may also be forced to shut down its Kariba South Bank Power Station later this year.
