Lake Kariba Level Rises To 15.57% Usable Live Storage
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has reported slight but steady increases in water levels at Lake Kariba, offering some cautious optimism for hydropower generation as the 2025/2026 rainy season winds down.
According to the latest update on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, the lake level has risen to 477.74 metres, up from 476.93 metres at the same time last year. While this is progress, it’s still well below the 481.09 metres recorded during the “good year” of 2019.
The usable live storage volume—a key measure of electricity generation—has climbed to 10.08 billion cubic metres, up from 6.39 BCM in 2025. That works out to 15.57% usable live storage for power generation, a modest improvement on last year’s 9.87%, but still far short of the 39.99% achieved in 2019.
ZRA warned that the increase reflects stability rather than a full recovery, noting that rainfall around the lake and its catchment has helped sustain the upward trend.
The Kariba Dam, designed to operate between 475.50m and 488.50m, remains within its functional range, but the relatively low storage levels continue to pose challenges for the regional electricity supply.
Lake Kariba, shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, is the world’s largest man-made reservoir and a vital source of hydropower for both countries.
Prolonged droughts in recent years have severely limited electricity generation, causing rolling blackouts and putting a strain on the economy.
