The Zambezi River Authority has reported a marginal but consistent rise in water levels in Lake Kariba.
According to the latest update released on Monday, 9 June 2025, the lake level now stands at 478.60 metres, compared to 477.33 metres recorded on the same date last year.
This increase has improved the usable live storage volume, the portion of water available for electricity generation, from 8.21 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 14.02 BCM this year.
The usable live storage capacity currently sits at 21.65%, a significant improvement from last year’s 12.68% recorded on the same date.
Despite the encouraging rise, the lake remains well below its Full Supply Level (FSL) of 488.50 metres, the benchmark at which the reservoir stores up to 181 BCM of water.
As of 9 June, the lake stands 3.1 metres above its Minimum Operating Level of 475.50 metres, which defines the lowest point for effective hydropower operations.
Lake Kariba is engineered to operate between 475.50m and 488.50m (allowing a 0.70m freeboard), with live storage comprising the 13-metre vertical range used for power generation.
Water below this threshold lies in dead storage, which is not accessible for energy production.
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