Zambezi River levels continue to fall at Victoria Falls

The Zambezi River Authority latest figures for Zambezi River levels (up to 26th May), recorded at Nana's Farm Hyrdrological Station (located on the north bank about 20 km above the Falls) show that river levels continue to drop, ending the period at 3,032m3/s m3/s (against 2,778m3/s at same date last year).

(click for larger view)

See also

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24/04/2026) Zambezi River levels at Victoria Falls experience early peak.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (11/05/2026) Victoria Falls river levels continue to drop.

Read more on the hydrology of the Upper Zambezi and Victoria Falls on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

 

 

Victoria Falls river levels continue to drop

The Zambezi River Authority latest figures for Zambezi River levels (up to 11th May), recorded at Nana's Farm Hyrdrological Station (located on the north bank about 20 km above the Falls) show that river levels continue to drop, ending the period at 3,526 m3/s (against 2,773 m3/s at same date last year), with no sign of a second peak.

[click to open higher res version in new window]

See also

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24/04/2026) Zambezi River levels at Victoria Falls experience early peak.

Read more on the hydrology of the Upper Zambezi and Victoria Falls on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Zambezi River levels at Victoria Falls experience early peak

Lots of talk on social media about the volume of the Falls at the moment - some are even claiming highest levels in seventy years - tourism media hype or reality? Zambezi River Authority data shows river levels at the Falls have experienced an early rise in levels, and levels are high, with flow rates exceeding 4,000 cubic metres a second, but within normal ranges and by no means exceptional. The trend is much as per 2019-20, which also experienced an early peak to similar levels, followed by a second peak in June - but not many people experienced the Falls during this high season due to the global pandemic (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 23rd April 2020). It remains to be seen whether this year will follow with a similar second peak.

The 2017/8 flood cycle experienced a slightly higher peak, but later in May, while 2009/10 recorded a yet higher 'double peak' (but still below 5,000 cubic metres/second) and 2008/9 recorded an even higher early peak (exceeding 5,500 cubic metres/second). Individual years prior to this date are not shown, with the long-term mean indicated by the dashed red line (partially obscured by subsequent data), but the exceptional flood years of 1977/8 and 1968/9 are shown, when flow rates exceeded 6,000 and 8,000 cubic metres a second respectively. The highest recorded flood levels at the Falls was 9,346 cubic metres/second in March 1958 (not shown on hydrograph).

Source: Zambezi River Authority website. [click to enlarge]

What is abundantly clear from the hydrograph is the extreme variability in seasonal flow over the Falls - from lows of 300 cubic metres/second to highs of 3,000 cubic metres/second, and huge variability in annual flood levels, reflecting variability in seasonal rainfall across the vast catchment area of the Upper Zambezi, covering western Zambia, including the vast Barotse Floodplains, and into south-eastern Angola (covering over 515,000 square kilomertres). What is of particular note from the hydrograph is that 2023-24 was an exceptionally 'flat' year, with peak flows hardly exceeding 1,000 cubic metres/second, and highlighting the extreme variability between flood years.

Data on river flow levels has been collected at the Victoria Falls since 1907, providing a huge data set of information on historical flow levels - and showing the large variation in annual rainfall.

Zambezi River mean annual flow, Victoria Falls (1907-2002)

(Source: Moore et al, 2007, Fig.15.11c) [click to enlarge]

The authors Moore et al (2007) recorded a mean annual flow at the Victoria Falls (!907-2002) of 1,087 cubic metres/second.

"Records of water level from the hydrological station at Victoria Falls, taken since 1907 are illustrated in Figure 15.11c. These indicate lower than normal years for 1907-46, above normal for the years 1947-81, and again below normal for 1982-1997. A major flood of 1958, during the construction of Kariba Dam, followed heavy rains in the upper catchment and also the local catchment below Victoria Falls. A coffer dam was overtopped and a road bridge washed away – at its peak some 9,000 m3 s−1 were passing over the Victoria Falls. In magnitude it was equivalent to the 1 in 100 year flood, which in turn is roughly half the probable maximum flood of 21,000 m3 s−1." (Moore et al, 2007)

In late 2025, new research revealed the previously unrecognised significance of the Angolan headwaters as the dominant and geographic source of the Zambezi, identifying a new source of the Zambezi (as defined by the furthest distance from its mouth), the Lungwebungu River headwaters in Angola, located about 1,440 m (4,720 ft) above sea level, and also increasing the defined length of the river (Lourenço et al, 2025). The total length from the Lungwebungu source to the Indian Ocean is 3,421 km, whereas the total length from the traditional or mainstem Zambezi source to the Indian Ocean is now calculated to be 3,079 km.

The research showed that during the 2023 flood season the majority of the water flowing over the Falls and into Lake Kariba originated from the Angolan Headwaters (the 'Angolan Heights Water Tower'), highlighting the importance of these tributary sources to downstream water flow and security.

"Based on point-in-time measurements conducted during the late rainfall season between March and May 2023, we estimate that approximately 70% of the water entering the Kariba Reservoir, below Victoria Falls, originates in the AHWT [Angolan Heights Water Tower]. While preliminary, these initial findings suggest a potentially substantial Angolan contribution to downstream flows, with important but previously underappreciated implications for transboundary river management and policy." (Lourenço et al, 2025)

References

Lourenço, M, Boyes, R.S, Cotterill, F.P.D, Flügel, T, Nyoni, F.C, Ramatlapeng, G J, & Von Brandis, R. (2025) Assessment of source regions of the Zambezi river: Implications for regional water security. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 29(18), 4557-4583.

Moore, A E, Fenton P.D, Cotterill F.P.D, Main, M.P. L. and Williams H.B. (2007) The Zambezi River. In Gupta, A [Editor] (2007) Large Rivers - Geomorphology and Management. Chapter 15. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, England.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (23rd April 2020) Victoria Falls Reaches It’s Highest Level In A Decade.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (8th April 2026) Vic Falls allure spawns tourist rush.

Vic Falls allure spawns tourist rush

 A RECORD number of local and international tourists are visiting the Victoria Falls as the waterfall reaches its peak, defying fears that numbers could drop due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East — which has unsettled global travel patterns and disrupted flight routes.

The country’s premier resort is surging into the peak tourism season, with water plunging into the waterfall with remarkable energy.

The allure of the Falls remains strong with hundreds of Easter holidaymakers, joined by a growing influx of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) travellers trooping into the resort town.

This has reinforced Victoria Falls’ standing as a destination of global choice that continues to draw visitors.

Across the town, hotels are reporting occupancy rates climbing beyond 70 percent, reflecting a renewed appetite for travel among both domestic and international visitors eager to witness one of nature’s most awe inspiring spectacles.

The Zambezi River’s unusually early swell — typically experienced in May or June — has been driven by heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Zambia and Angola.

The result is a dramatic transformation of Victoria Falls into a roaring curtain of water and mist, its thunderous presence drawing tourists in large numbers as spray rises from the gorge and rainbows shimmer in the sunlight.

Tourism executive Dr Clement Mukwasi said the rapid increase in water volumes took many by surprise, but has been warmly welcomed by industry players.

“Usually, our peak water volumes occur around May or June, but this year we are seeing the Zambezi already overflowing. We had to close rafting a bit earlier because of the high water, but the Falls are at their spectacular best,” he said.

Dr Mukwasi said the timing of the early peak has worked in the industry’s favour, coinciding with an influx of domestic tourists travelling for the Easter holidays, and seamlessly blending into the traditional international peak season running from May to October.

Despite the Middle East conflict, which has affected some international flight connections, Dr Mukwasi said Zimbabwe’s tourism sector continued to demonstrate resilience.

“Since we have the best place to visit in the world in Africa, we think 2026 shall bring very good fortunes. Southern Africa has been peaceful and quiet, and we anticipate many travellers shifting from North Africa to visit Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls in particular,” he said.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe Matabeleland North Chapter chairperson Ms Patience Musonza echoed the same optimism, saying operators are expecting strong occupancy levels over the Easter period, driven by families, leisure travellers and regional visitors seeking to reconnect with nature.

“Domestic tourism is helping to push bookings. Just walking inside the rainforest around the waterfall shows how much water there is, which is a plus for us,” she said.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Mr Luckmore Safuli said the high water flows are a natural phenomenon that brings benefits beyond tourism, extending into broader conservation gains.

He said the increased volumes enhance the visual grandeur of the Falls, while simultaneously transporting nutrients downstream that support aquatic ecosystems and sustain

“Recent increases in water volumes observed at Victoria Falls are primarily a result of sustained rainfall across the upper Zambezi River catchment. The Falls are currently exhibiting higher-than-average flows for this time of year, resulting in the dramatic spectacle commonly associated with peak flow conditions,” said Mr Safuli.

Mr Safuli said Zimparks continued to work closely with tourism operators to ensure safe access for visitors.

He urged visitors to strictly adhere to posted warnings, avoid swimming or approaching fast flowing sections outside designated areas, and follow guidance from park authorities at all times.

UN Tourism Regional Director for Africa Ms Elcia Grandcourt has meanwhile singled out Zimbabwe as a standout post pandemic tourism success story, highlighting the country’s ability to diversify offerings and capture new market segments.

“Africa has been able to constantly gain centre-stage within the international tourism landscape by seizing new opportunities and demonstrating resilience. Statistics indicate that Africa’s tourism has built back better and resurged stronger,” she said.

“Against this backdrop, Zimbabwe stands out as a successful example. The country has been able to diversify its tourism offerings and products, capturing new tourism segments and shares, which contributed to confirming and further strengthening its destination brand and image.”

According to UN Tourism Barometer data, Africa welcomed 81 million international arrivals in 2025 — an 8 percent increase — while Zimbabwe received 1,6 million international visitors in 2024, underlining its growing global appeal.

Last month, Zimbabwe’s rising profile was further cemented when it clinched the Destination of the Year — Natural Wonders Award at the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association Awards, held on the sidelines of ITB Berlin 2026 in Germany.

Source: Vic Falls allure spawns tourist rush (07/04/2026)

Victoria Falls water levels decline

 THE water level recorded at Victoria Falls this week is 70 percent less than the same period last year due to low rainfall experienced across the Southern Africa region, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), has said.

In a statement on Thursday, ZRA, which administers water in the Zambezi River on behalf of Zimbabwe and Zambia, said as at March 19, 2024, Victoria Falls had 751 cubic meter per second (m3/s ),  compared to 2 510 m3/s recorded during the same period a year earlier.

“The Zambezi River flow recorded on March 19, 2024 at Victoria Falls has receded from that recorded on March 6, 2024,” reads the statement.

“Further, the obtaining flows are significantly lower than those recorded on the same date last year.”

Water levels at Lake Kariba also continue to decline, resulting in the decrease in live storage water.

Live storage water refers to water used for power generation.

“The effects of the El Niño weather condition being experienced globally and over the Southern African region in particular have continued to negatively impact the Zambezi River inflows into Lake Kariba. This situation continues to greatly impact the Lake Kariba water levels,” added ZRA.

Source: Victoria Falls water levels decline (21/03/2024)

Victoria Falls Reaches It’s Highest Level In A Decade

The Victoria Falls appears to be thoroughly enjoying its alone time, reaching its highest flows in a decade in a powerful display of breath-taking beauty and intensity, which ironically no one is there to witness.

The Victoria Falls rainforest is closed, as like the rest of the world, Zimbabwe is in lockdown to protect against the coronavirus pandemic. However, when the time is right it will reopen, and the Victoria Falls will still be magnificent.

Zambezi River Authority public relations and communications manager Elizabeth Karonga said the high-water levels were due to a significant increase in both rainfall and run-off in the catchment area upstream of Victoria Falls during the current rainfall season.

Authority data shows four times more water is now flowing over the world’s largest waterfall than at this time last year – on April 20, 3,922 cubic metres per second was recorded compared to 1,007 cubic metres per second on April 20, 2019.  

“The Zambezi River normally experiences two peaks or floods, which are more evident in the upper catchment area, upstream from Victoria Falls, and depending on their magnitude, their effects are translated downstream,” Karonga said.

The first wave of floodwaters was recorded at Victoria Falls on March 31, 2020 with a peak flow of 4,289 cubic metres per second, and the second reached the Victoria Falls on April 14, and water levels were, again, rising, Karonga said.

The flow at the Victoria Falls from the second flood is expected to peak by end of April at more than 4,300 cubic metres per second, she added.

The flows at the Victoria Falls have not been this high since 2010, when they were slightly higher; they were also higher in 2009 and 1978, but the highest flows ever recorded were in 1958 when the peak flow reached an incredible 9,436 cubic metres per second, she said.  

In coming weeks, the rise in flows at the Victoria Falls will continue until the rainfall upstream subsides, leading to a reduction in the Zambezi River flows, and subsequently reduced flows at the Victoria Falls. The Falls are expected to peak at the end of May this year.

Ross Kennedy, chief executive of Zimbabwean hospitality group Africa Albida Tourism, said nature continued to show off her power and influence over our lives! 

“At a time when the world is in trouble the Zambezi River and the Victoria Falls display immense beauty, rugged power and a glorious snub to the current negatives,” Kennedy said. 

“It has been quite some time since anyone witnessed the majesty and intensity of this level of water flowing over the Victoria Falls, with the last period of such floods being ten years ago.

“What a sad and disappointing irony it is, that at this time that one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World is at its absolute finest, the world is in lockdown and very few if any will get to witness or experience this iconic destination in all its splendour,” he added.

“But, of course, nature being what it is, Victoria Falls will flood again and will be there to impress, enthral and excite many millions of tourists in the decades ahead.”

Africa Albida Tourism operates a portfolio of properties in Victoria Falls, which include Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, as well as Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suites, Lokuthula Lodges and The Boma – Dinner & Drum Show.

Source:Victoria Falls Reaches It’s Highest Level In A Decade (23/04/20)

Zambezi River levels rise

Zambezi River levels at Victoria Falls rose from 426 to 548 m3/s from 10 to 23 January 2020 (against 406 to 524 m3/s for the same period in 2019). "The Zambezi River flows at Victoria Falls are still below the long-term average. This situation of below average flows at this station is forecasted to continue throughout the season to September 2020 as depicted in the respective hydrograph (dashed blue line)." (Zambezi River Authority website - http://www.zambezira.org/hydrology/river-flows)

Victoria Falls dries to a trickle after worst drought in a century

One of southern Africa’s biggest tourist attractions has seen an unprecedented decline this dry season, fuelling climate change fears

For decades Victoria Falls, where southern Africa’s Zambezi river cascades down 100 metres into a gash in the earth, have drawn millions of holidaymakers to Zimbabwe and Zambia for their stunning views.

But the worst drought in a century has slowed the waterfalls to a trickle, fuelling fears that climate change could kill one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions.

While they typically slow down during the dry season, officials said this year had brought an unprecedented decline in water levels.

“In previous years, when it gets dry, it’s not to this extent,” Dominic Nyambe, a seller of tourist handicrafts in his 30s, said outside his shop in Livingstone, on the Zambian side. “This [is] our first experience of seeing it like this.

“It affects us because ... clients ... can see on the internet [that the falls are low] ... We don’t have so many tourists.”

As world leaders gather in Madrid for the COP25 climate change conference to discuss ways to halt catastrophic warming caused by human-driven greenhouse gas emissions, southern Africa is already suffering some of its worst effects – with taps running dry and about 45 million people in need of food aid amid crop failures.

Zimbabwe and Zambia have suffered power cuts as they are heavily reliant on hydropower from plants at the Kariba dam, which is on the Zambezi river downstream of the waterfalls.

Stretches of this kilometre-long natural wonder are nothing but dry stone. Water flow is low in others.

Data from the Zambezi River Authority shows water flow at its lowest since 1995, and well under the long-term average. The Zambian president, Edgar Lungu, has called it “a stark reminder of what climate change is doing to our environment”.

Yet scientists are cautious about categorically blaming climate change. There is always seasonal variation in levels.

Harald Kling, a hydrologist at engineering firm Poyry and a Zambezi river expert, said climate science dealt in decades, not particular years, “so it’s sometimes difficult to say this is because of climate change because droughts have always occurred”.

“If they become more frequent, then you can start saying: OK, this may be climate change.”

He said early climate models had predicted more frequent dry years in the Zambezi basin, but that “what was surprising was that it [drought] has been so frequent” – the last drought was only three years ago. As the river got hotter, 437m cubic metres of water were evaporating every second.

In Livingstone this week, four tourists stared into a mostly dry chasm normally gushing with white water. German student Benjamin Konig was disappointed.

“Seems to be not much [water] – a few rocky stones with a little water between it,” he said.

Richard Beilfuss, head of the International Crane Foundation, who has studied the Zambezi for the past three decades, believed climate change was delaying the monsoon, “concentrating rain in bigger events, which are then much harder to store, and a much longer, excruciating dry season”.

Source: Victoria Falls dries to a trickle after worst drought in a century (17/12/19)

The climate change threat to Victoria Falls

Receding water levels at Kariba Dam have meant the two countries that generate electricity from it have to look elsewhere for power supplies. But if climate change has its way, the two countries might lose another key economic contributor and major tourist attraction - Victoria Falls.

Zimbabwe and Zambia both generate most of their power from Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River, which is on the border between the two countries.

The Kariba Dam has towered over one of Africa’s mightiest rivers for 60 years, forming the world’s largest reservoir and providing reliable electricity to the two countries.

But as drought grips the region, flow on the Zambezi river has dwindled to a third of what it was a year ago, limiting power generation.

While both countries have looked to South Africa's Eskom as well as the Southern African Power Pool for help, another disaster is looming.

The Victoria Falls, also found along the mighty Zambezi River, and a major tourist drawcard for both countries, is running dry – threatening millions of dollars generated from tourist visits.

At the height of the rainy season, more than five hundred million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge of the falls into a gorge over one hundred meters below.

But without much water, as is the case now, the falls become just another gorge.

Zambian president Edgar Lungu has laid the blame squarely on climate change. 

Using his twitter handle  the statesman bemoaned the impact of climate change on the falls. Attaching pictures showing large sections of the world-famous waterfall completely dried up, he tweeted: "These pictures of the Victoria Falls are a stark reminder of what climate change is doing to our environment and our livelihood.

"[There is] no doubt that developing countries like Zambia are the most impacted by climate change and the least able to afford its consequences."

He added that now is not the time to play "politics with climate change". "We must come together and provide solutions around mitigation and adaptation."

He quoted Republican Political Consultant Whit Ayres: "Denying the basic existence of climate change is no longer a credible position."

Climate change has been found to be the biggest cause of extreme events such as drought and floods, according to the UN expert panel on climate change.

And if indeed the Victoria Falls continue to suffer, it will be a heavy blow. Holidaymakers have long made the journey to see Victoria Falls in its full glory and majesty: the mist, the rainbow and the thunder.

So any disruption caused by climate change on water discharge at the waterfall will be most damaging to the tourism industry in particular, and the two countries' economies in general.

Source: The climate change threat to Victoria Falls (11/10/19)

Africa’s Biggest Waterfall at Risk From Drought

The flow at the Africa’s biggest waterfall is at its lowest since 1995, highlighting the threat posed by a drought to tourism and electricity generation in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Flow has slumped to 109 cubic meters-per-second (3,850 cubic feet) at Victoria Falls, a 1.7-kilometer (1.1 mile) curtain of falling water at the peak of a normal wet season, according to the Zambezi River Authority. The falls on the Zambezi river straddle the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and the flow of the watercourse fills the Kariba Dam, the site of the two countries’ largest power plants.

The drought threatens to deter tourists from visiting the site, could curtail a lucrative white-water rafting industry in the gorge below the cataract and may see the power plants at Kariba shut down, worsening power cuts in both countries. Elephants at nearby game parks are dying of hunger, further damaging the tourism industry.

“Some of the tourism products that we boast of can be a thing of the past if climate change and global warming are not quickly addressed,” said Godfrey Koti, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.

Key among Victoria Falls’ attractions is a rain-forest fed by the spray of the thundering waters. That spray gives Victoria Falls’ its local name - Mosi Oa Tunya - The Smoke That Thunders.

“Rafting activities and visits to the rain-forest have declined,” said Clement Mukwasi, president of the Employers Association for Tourism and Safari Operators. “There isn’t much that we can do except for us as an industry to promote awareness of climate change.”

The flow at the falls is volatile. The lowest on record is 99 cubic meters-per-second in October 1996 while the record is 6,172 cubic meters-per-second in April 1977, according to the authority.

This year’s paucity, which has left Kariba 15% full, has already cut power generation at the Zimbabwean plant to just over a 10th of its usual output.

”We are dangerously close to a level where we have to cut off power generation, “ Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s finance minister, told lawmakers in Victoria Falls town on Thursday.

Rains in Zimbabwe normally begin in November and end around April.

Source: Africa’s Biggest Waterfall at Risk From Drought (31/10/19)

Victoria Falls records lowest water levels

The Victoria Falls has recorded the lowest water levels as of this month compared to previous years.

Victoria Falls World Heritage Site Manager John Zulu has attributed the early reduction of water to reduced amounts of rain fall during the last rainy season.

Mr. Zulu said the rocks at the falls usually become exposed in October and November when the water levels reduce, but this year the rocks are already showing.

He however said the Victoria Falls remains admirable throughout the year.

Mr. Zulu said the geological formation of the heritage site is captivating and that the low water levels also allow for activities such as white water rafting and walking on the lip of the falls.

And Mr. Zulu has noted that the number of people visiting the Victoria Falls slightly increased from January to June this year as compared to the same period last year.

He said about 80000 local and international tourists visited the Falls this year in the first six months while the same period last year recorded 75000 visitors.

Source: Victoria Falls records lowest water levels (11/07/19)

Drought taking its toll on Victoria Falls

Tourists staring in wonder at the full force of the Zambezi River cascading over Victoria Falls struggle to believe the region is suffering one of its worst droughts, but local guide Patrick Sakala knows all is not well.

Flows have dropped to 30-year lows at the waterfall straddling Zambia and Zimbabwe’s shared border as poor rains and soaring temperatures take their toll across southern Africa.

“At this time of year, you usually wouldn’t be able to hear me over the thunderous roar,” said Sakala, pointing at rocks piercing through a vast sheet of water dropping 100m, twice the height of Niagara Falls in Canada.

“You wouldn’t see those rocks. You might not see anything because of the smoke all around you,” he added, referring to the clouds of mist thrown up from the swells in the chasm beneath the falls, known locally as “The Smoke That Thunders”.

Downstream, Kariba Lake – the world’s largest man-made reservoir – is only 12 percent full, compared to 53 percent at the same time last year, according to the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA).

Kariba is the water source for a hydroplant which provides Zimbabwe and Zambia with much of their electricity, and power cuts have become a daily occurrence this year.

The plant could stop producing power completely in six months if water levels continue to fall, deepening economic pain and increasing poverty, an official said last month.

“It’s been terrible,” said Gloria Masheka, who runs a guest house in nearby Livingstone.

“The price of everything has gone up, we don’t have electricity for sometimes eight hours a day.

“All people talk about is how they don’t have power and can’t afford food.”

The drought has been blamed on a severe El Niño weather pattern unsettling climates across the world.

On the continent, it is expected to hit 49 million people from Malawi to Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, leaving about 14 million going hungry, the UN World Food Programme says.

African governments are requesting billions of dollars in aid as the unusually dry period ruins farmland, kills cattle and cuts off water supplies.

South Africa is suffering its worst drought in a century, likely to push 50 000 people below the poverty line, according to estimates from the World Bank.

The dams’ levels have dropped 16 percent since October and are expected to take three years to recover.

The dry, hot conditions risk hurting the region’s vital tourism industry as lush safari parks are scorched brown, mighty rivers such as the Zambezi are diminished, and even Victoria Falls loses some of its marvel.

“It’s still spectacular,” said Rory, a US tourist peering off the “knife-edge” bridge which sways high above a winding river gorge under the waterfall.

“It’s sad what the drought has done here. I hope people still come to see this beautiful country.”

Drought taking its toll on Victoria Falls (03/03/16)

‘165 days left before Kariba shuts down’

Kariba Dam is now left with capacity to generate power for only 165 days, unless significant water inflows are recorded in the next few months, a Zesa Holdings official has said.

BY TARISAI MANDIZHA

Speaking during a tour of Kariba Power Station last Friday, the power station’s general manager, Kenneth Maswera said water levels in the dam were now at 477,15m which is 1,65m above the minimum power generation threshold. He said these were the lowest levels recorded since the 1992 drought.

“If we are taking a cubic centimetre a day, it will take 165 days, but that is if we don’t get any water inflows,” he said.

“It looks like it has been almost constant, but the water levels are going down and it’s a fact. We have not received any significant inflows, basically the level is going to continue going down if we don’t get any water flows into the lake.”

Maswera said power generation at Kariba Hydropower Station had further declined to 285MW against a generation capacity of 750 megawatts (MW) due to
dwindling water levels in Kariba dam.

“We are 1,65m above the level to generate power and if we go below this level, we will not be able to generate. But there is enough water for fishing and other activities,” he said.

Maswera said Kariba power generation was constructed and designed to operate between 475,5m and 488,50m.

He said the expansion of Kariba South Power Station, which was expected to add 300MW into the national grid was now 40% complete.

The $533 million expansion project, which includes development costs to be met by Zimbabwe Power Company, is being undertaken by a Chinese firm, Sino Hydro and is targeted for completion by 2018.

According to reports, to date, China Exim Bank has disbursed the first tranche of about $100 million under the engineering procurement contract valued at $354 million.

Zimbabwe is generating 1 355MW, with Hwange producing 341MW, Kariba 285MW, Harare 17MW and Munyati 28MW. Imports contributed 450MW against a forecast demand of 1 375MW.

Zesa spokesperson, Fullard Gwasira said despite dwindling water levels at Kariba Dam, the power utility company was working on a number of measures to address power shortages, which include importation of 300MW of electricity from South Africa and another 40MW from Mozambique, Dema emergency diesel power plant and the solar water heating programme among many others.

Zambezi River Authority chief executive officer, Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the situation at Kariba was bad.

Kariba Dam services both Zambia and Zimbabwe and on a daily basis the power stations in the two countries consume between 900 to 1 000 cubic metres of water.

Munodawafa, however, said more rains were expected between this and next month and this will improve the water levels to sustain the two countries up to the winter period.

Source: ‘165 days left before Kariba shuts down’ (22/02/16)

Graph Source: Zambezi River Authority

Low water levels at Victoria Falls highlight southern Africa’s worst drought in 30 years

Tourists post pictures on social media of iconic falls known as “The Smoke That Thunders” looking decidedly tame as farmers endure record drought that will cause hunger across the continent

Southern Africa is in the grip of an historic drought which has slashed crop production, killed cattle, shut off water supplies to rural communities and even diminished the mighty Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border to a shadow of its former self.

Tourists visiting the falls have posted pictures showing the famous Smoke That Thunders reduced in some parts to little more than a trickle, as markers show it is two metres below its habitual levels.

The low water mark has resulted in locals rechristening the Unesco’s world heritage site “Victoria Walls”. Earlier this month tourists could be seen crossing the cliff edge where the falls would normally be in full flow in January, while others swam in the Devil’s Pool right on the edge of the precipice, something that would normally be impossible.

Nicole Subramunian, a worker at a safari lodge on the Zambezi River which feeds the falls, said the low water levels were perilous for everyone.

“Low levels make boating a nightmare. Boats can get stuck on sandbanks and many hippos and crocs appear in these drier areas, which is dangerous,” she told The Telegraph.

Although the flow of water from the Zambezi River is always low during the dry season, conservation experts say the rains now flowing in from floodplains are six weeks too late.

Official data from the Zambezi River Authority shows that flows were 20 per cent lower on January 18 than the previous year, and that Lake Kariba, the world’s largest manmade reservoir that sits upstream of Victoria Falls, is only 12 per cent full at present.

The dam that sits across the lake supplies both Zambia and Zimbabwe with up to half of its power and yet ZRA said water levels were within two metres of its massive hydropower plants having to be shut down.

Both countries are already feeling the effects. Zambia relies on hydroelectricity for 99.7 per cent of its power in total.

Its president, Edgar Lungu, in October organised national prayer sessions for a strengthening of the economy and rain to fall but the prayers were not answered and in the same month, ZESCO, Zambia’s power supplier, implemented a programme of rolling blackouts for several hours each day.

Those have sent the cost of living for consumers skyrocketing and crippled the already struggling copper industry, which is central to Zambia’s economy.

Meanwhile in Zimbabwe, a similar power crisis means that urban residents go without electricity for more than 18 hours a day, with a knock-on effect for industry and business. At least 7,000 cattle are reported to have already died and northern herders are reportedly driving their animals into the country’s national parks, meaning they will compete with wildlife for scarce food resources.

Earlier this month it was revealed that Robert Mugabe’s cash-strapped government has struck a secret deal to buy expensive power from Eskom, the state power firm of its southern neighbour South Africa. The move prompted outrage from South Africans who have also been blighted by a lack of capacity this year, leading to frequent “load shedding” power cuts.

South Africa’s drought is said to be the worst for at least 27 years. Five provinces are close to being declared disaster zones because of a lack of water and citizens’ groups have been organising whip-rounds for watertrucks to conduct deliveries to rural areas. The country will also be forced to import an unprecedented five to six million tonnes of corn, its staple, from overseas.

Farmers have been forced to cull emaciated cattle and at least one is said to have committed suicide because of the tough conditions.

The World Food Programme has warned that 14m people across southern Africa face hunger because of poor harvests last year, which it has warned will be even worse this year.

Further north, Save the Children has categorised the situation in Ethiopiaas the second worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world, behind only Syria, with some 400,000 children suffering severe acute malnutrition as a result of failed rains.

The drought has been attributed to El Niño, the climate phenomenonwhich sees Pacific Ocean warming that has a ripple affect on weather patterns across the world, and which this year was said by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) monitors to be the strongest on record.

This week, a new US study warned that the record-breaking string of hot years since the year 2000 was almost certainly a sign of man-made global warming.

In December, almost 190 nations agreed at the COP21 summit in Paris to shift from fossil fuels towards cleaner energies such as wind and solar power to limit warming.

Source: Low water levels at Victoria Falls highlight southern Africa’s worst drought in 30 years (27/01/16)

The water flow over Victoria Falls is rising fast

WATER levels are now rising steadily at Victoria Falls, but African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) chairman Ross Kennedy says, regardless, Victoria Falls is a year round natural wonder.

“Like any piece of beautiful art, you can look at and admire at different times of the day, light, season, year, angles, and in this case from two countries, and appreciate different virtues and attributes of this incredible world wonder,” Mr Kennedy said.

“High or low water, Victoria Falls offers utterly different splendour, majesty, raw beauty and power – and so perhaps should in fact be a TWICE in your lifetime experience – to see them both?!”

A blog published by local tourism operator Wild Horizons last week stated:

The large fluctuation of the Zambezi River’s water levels are a part of a normal annual occurrence, with the minimum flow, which occurs in November, on average a tenth of the maximum flow in April, it said.

“This phenomenon means that viewing the waterfall at different times of the year produces vastly different experiences … in high flow the entire length of the Falls is a thundering wall of falling water, whereas in low water the underlying structure can be seen and visibility is far better,” it said.

The Zambezi River has been rising steadily since mid November, with more water now flowing over the world’s largest waterfall, following a drier than normal year last year.

Rafting Association of Zimbabwe chairman Skinner Ndlovu said daily water level readings from a hydrological station gauge upstream of Victoria Falls, show the Zambezi River has been rising by 0.5cm a day since Christmas.

“We are now just 15cm below the average water level of the Zambezi River at
Victoria Falls at this time of the year,” Mr Ndlovu said.

Low rainfall in the catchment area north of Victoria Falls during the 2014-2015 rainy season brought the water to its lowest level last year since 1995, which was a drier year, Mr Ndlovu said.

Source: The water flow over Victoria Falls is rising fast (19/01/16)

Zambezi River level update

[image credit: peter roberts]

Zambezi River level from just above the Victoria Falls (taken from the Victoria Falls Hydrological Station), 12 March 2013.

Zambezi River level update

credit: peter roberts

Zambezi River level from just above the Victoria Falls (taken from the Victoria Falls Hydrological Station), 7 March 2013 - compare with previous images here.

The figures from the Katima Mulilo Hydrological Station (below), located upstream of the Victoria Falls and the Caprivi Swamps, indicate that whilst for a while the Zambezi was on a record rise for the time of year, the river has started to level off, although the river may still rise in response to rainfall within the huge area of the upper catchment.

Zambezi River Levels

From the Victoria Falls Bush Telegraph (link)

The water levels on the Zambezi at the Victoria Falls respond to rainfall across the whole Upper Zambezi catchment, but flow patterns are also hugely influenced by natural wetland areas such as the Caprivi Swamps, which intercept and absorb floodwaters and then regulate the water released downstream. Data from the Victoria Falls Hydrological Station, located just above the Falls (along Zambezi drive) show that as at the end of January the Zambezi River was 10 centimetres higher than last year, but 10 centimetres lower than the highest level recorded in recent years (2007).

However, data from the Katima Mulilo Hydrological Station, upstream of the Victoria Falls and the Caprivi Swamps, showed a far more dramatic rise in river levels in late January, with the river rising to higher than average for this time of year and following a similar rise to 2011 when river levels rose early and quickly (but then subsided into a lower than average maximums). Indeed rises at Katima Mulilo can be up to four times that experienced at the Victoria Falls, emphasising the regulatory effect of wetlands and their importance in controlling natural flood patterns. The Caprivi Swamps absorb and store excess floodwaters, much like a sponge, releasing them slowly and steadily downstream. The corresponding reduction in flow can be up to seven times higher at Katima Mulilo than at the Victoria Falls, as the swamps slowly release stored water, reflecting the importance of the Caprivi Swamps in regulating flow downstream to the Victoria Falls and preventing dramatic, and destructive, flood events. Without them, the Falls would experience even more dramatic fluctuations in level, rising quicker and higher than presently, and accordingly dropping quicker and more dramatically, and the rapid below even more treacherous.

At the same time as increasing in volume, the speed or flow of the river increases. The flow at the Victoria Falls Hydrological Station as at 3rd February 2013 was 1,459 metres cubed per second, which is about 44% higher than the flow recorded last year on the same date when water levels were also significantly lower by comparison.