A regional drought has reduced water levels at Kariba Dam, the main source of power for Zambia and Zimbabwe, to less than a third of its capacity.
The dam is only 29% full, compared with 88% a year ago and 31% at the start of June, the Zambezi River Authority said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. Zimbabwean Energy Minister Fortune Chasi warned last month that Zimbabwe will suspend electricity production at Kariba in September if current rates of depletion continue.
Kariba is the world’s biggest man-made reservoir and straddles the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It’s designed to operate with water levels at between 475.5 meters and 488.5 meters. The current water level is 479.65 meters, the authority said.
Zambia, Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, and Zimbabwe both introduced rolling blackouts last month because of power-supply constraints.