Water levels in Lake Kariba have continued to rise gradually, thanks to steadily increasing inflows from the upper catchment area of the Zambezi River, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has reported.
According to the latest data released on Monday, 12 May 2025, the lake closed the reporting period at a level of 477.85 metres, marking a slight but notable increase compared to 477.40 metres recorded on the same date in 2024. The rise in levels reflects sustained inflows into the reservoir, which is a critical source of hydropower generation for both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Lake Kariba is engineered to operate between 475.50 metres and 488.50 metres, with a 0.70-metre freeboard reserved for flood control and safety. The current level of 477.85 metres places the lake well within its operational range, although still significantly below the upper threshold.
The usable live storage—the portion of water available for electricity generation—has also seen improvement. As of this update, the lake’s usable storage stood at 16.34%, compared to 13.17% recorded on the same day last year. This indicates a modest recovery in power generation capacity, which had been under strain during periods of lower water availability. The ZRA said:
The Kariba Lake is designed to operate between levels 475.50m and 488.50m (with 0.70m freeboard) for hydropower generation.
The Lake level is steadily increasing due to corresponding increase in inflows on the mainstream Zambezi River, closing the period under review at 477.85m (16.34% usable storage) on 12th May 2025, compared to 477.40m (13.17% usable storage) recorded on the same date last year.
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