<
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/nov/11/levels-are-dropping-drought-saps-zambia-and-zimbabwe-of-hydropower>
"All is not well with the waters of Lake Kariba, the world’s largest human-made
lake. A punishing drought has drained the huge reservoir close to record lows,
raising the prospect that the Kariba Dam, which powers the economies of Zambia
and Zimbabwe, may have to shut down for the first time in its 65-year history.
Under the heat of the dry-season sun, the lake looks vast, serene. But, earlier
this year, a severe effect of El Niño caused the worst mid-rainy season dry
spell in southern Africa in a century.
That has led to authorities rationing the water allowed to flow through the dam
and, in recent months, power cuts of up to 21 hours a day in Zambia on the
lake’s northern side and 17 hours in Zimbabwe to the south.
The load shedding is devastating livelihoods and hitting the countries’ already
weak economies – Zambia is still recovering from a drawn-out debt restructuring
and Zimbabwe is throttled by chronically high inflation. Average temperatures
have already been rising in recent decades in both countries as climate
breakdown takes hold.
“This is the worst [it’s ever been],” said Cephas Museba, the manager of the
hydropower plant on Zambia’s side of the lake, who has worked for the country’s
national power company, Zesco, since 2005.
He pointed out concrete beams that were usually under the reservoir’s surface.
On the other side of the dam, below its 128-metre high concrete wall, were dark
brown rocks rising in an island from the Zambezi River, which forms the border
between Zambia and Zimbabwe. “Everything brown there, down there, is supposed
to be under water,” Museba said. “All the year.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
