Lake Kariba’s Usable Storage Doubles Year-on-Year Despite Falling Levels

Water levels in Lake Kariba continue to decline in line with seasonal expectations, according to the latest update from the Zambezi River Authority.

The drop is attributed to reduced inflows from the upper catchment, a typical trend during the dry season that is expected to persist until the onset of the rains.

As of 5 August 2025, the lake level stood at 478.77 metres, representing 22.88% usable live storage for hydropower generation.

This marks an improvement compared to the same date last year, when the level was 477.00 metres with only 10.35% usable storage.

The current usable live storage volume is 14.82 billion cubic metres (BCM), more than double the 6.70 BCM recorded in 2024.

Despite the downward trajectory, the lake remains well within its operational range of 475.50m to 488.50m, which includes a 0.70m freeboard for safe hydropower generation.

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