By Hazvinei Mwanaka
Lake Kariba’s water levels remain significantly higher than last year
despite entering the normal dry season drawdown phase, providing
improved prospects for electricity generation in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
In a recent weekly hydrological update released, the Zambezi River
Authority (ZRA) said the 2025/2026 rainfall season had substantially
improved inflows into Lake Kariba, leaving the reservoir in a much
stronger position than during the same period in 2025.
The Authority said the reservoir reached its seasonal peak water level of
482.21 meters above sea level on June 27 before beginning its expected
seasonal recession.
“As of July 21, the lake level had declined slightly to 482.07 meters
above sea level, with live storage standing at 47.47 percent, equivalent
to approximately 30.76 billion cubic meters of usable water. This is a
marked improvement from the same date last year, when the reservoir
stood at 478.91 meters above sea level with live storage of just 23.90
percent, or 15.49 billion cubic meters.
“The sustained improvement in reservoir storage reflects the cumulative
impact of inflows received during the 2025/2026 rainfall season and has
resulted in markedly higher storage levels than those recorded during the
corresponding period in 2025,” the Authority said.
The reservoir is currently about 3.16 meters higher than it was at the
same time last year.
“Meanwhile, river flows across the Kariba Catchment continue to
decline as expected following the end of the rainy season. At the
Chavuma Gauging Station, flows fell from 362 cubic meters per second
(m³/s) on June 30 to 253 m³/s on July 21, slightly below the 257 m³/s
recorded on the same date in 2025,” added the Authority.
Similarly, flows at the Victoria Falls Gauging Station decreased from
1,549 m³/s to 980 m³/s over the same period, compared to 1,029 m³/s
recorded on July 21 last year.
The ZRA said these declines are consistent with the normal transition
into the dry season.
Looking ahead, the Authority expects river flows to continue receding
through the remainder of the dry season. Forecasts indicate Lake
Kariba’s water level will decline slightly further to around 482.02 meters
above sea level, representing approximately 30.51 billion cubic meters
of live storage or 47.08 percent of usable capacity.
Despite the seasonal decline, storage levels are expected to remain well
above those recorded in 2025.
According to the Authority, the favourable hydrological conditions
recorded during the 2025/2026 rainfall season are sufficient to sustain
the revised 2026 combined water allocation of 36 billion cubic meters
for power generation, with 18 billion cubic meters allocated to each of
the Zimbabwean and Zambian power utilities.
The ZRA said it will continue monitoring hydrological and climatic
conditions across the basin and provide regular updates to stakeholders.
The Zambezi River Authority is jointly owned by the Governments of
Zimbabwe and Zambia and is responsible for operating and maintaining
Kariba Dam, regulating water levels in the reservoir, and monitoring
hydrological conditions across the Zambezi River Basin.