Power-Starved Zimbabwe, Zambia Face Further Drought-Induced Blackouts
- Kariba dam’s dwindling levels could cut all hydropower output
- Outlook grim as seasonal rains have been arriving ever later
Photographer: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP/Getty Images
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The Kariba dam that straddles Zambia and Zimbabwe, the world’s biggest man-made reservoir, is emptying fast, sparking fears the countries may have to cut hydropower production there completely.
For the two southern African nations already suffering daily blackouts and growing economic pressures -- Zimbabwe’s inflation rate surged to 176% in June, while the International Monetary Fund at the weekend warned Zambia could be on the brink of a debt crisis -- a total shutdown at Kariba would be crippling. Zambia gets about a third of its supply from the dam, Zimbabwe almost half.