Zambia: In the sudden turn of events, the Zambezi River Authority-ZRA has disclosed that the allocation of 15 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of water is to be shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In a press statement released by ZRA Public Relations and Communications Officer, Fitzgerald Muchindu, says findings arise from the detection of a high probability of a normal to below normal 2023/2024 rainfall season for the Kariba Upper catchment.
The Authority says the general outlook is highly influenced by the increasing occurrence of El Niño weather conditions, which are expected to significantly impact negatively the rainfall season in Southern Africa.
Further, the below-average rainfall will result in below-average water inflow into Lake Kariba, negatively impacting the volume of water available for power generation during 2024. The farmers and agriculture within that area are getting highly affected as they are totally dependent on the river for water occupancy.
Accordingly, power utilities have been advised to consider alternative power sources to complement generation at Kariba to fill any power generation deficit that could arise due to the lower water allocation at Kariba for 2024.
El Niño is a geographical process in which there is an increase in the level of the water in oceans and rivers due to the melting of icebergs, which is linked to the rise in the global temperature, which could further happen because of the many factors important like increase in the carbon particles in the atmosphere like chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) which could occur because of increased greenhouses gases.
When the Central African Council appointed the Inter-Territorial Hydroelectric Commission in 1964 since then the history of Zambian authority began.
This commission recommended the development of a dam at Kariba and a hydroelectric power station way back in 1951. The passing of the Hydroelectric Power Act charged with the function of Coordinating the generation and supply of electricity within the Federation.
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