Zambia electricity crisis: Drought hits hydro-powered Kariba Dam

A drought has caused an electricity crisis as Zambia heavily relies on the hydro-powered Kariba Dam.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyUS ElectionElection pollsKamala HarrisDonald TrumpJD VanceTim WalzSportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersHow a mega dam has caused a mega power crisis for ZambiaBBC / Kennedy GondweKariba Dam was built in a gorge between Zambia and Zimbabwe holding back the Zambezi River to create a man-made lake Despite having the mighty Zambezi River and the massive hydro-powered Kariba Dam, Zambia is currently grappling with the worst electricity blackouts in living memory.

The crisis is so severe that cities and towns across the country are sometimes without electricity for three consecutive days, with people counting themselves lucky if the lights come on for an hour or two.

The power cuts have come as a shock to the 43% of Zambians who are connected to the grid and have taken electricity for granted all their lives.

But one of the severest droughts in decades - caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon - has decimated Zambia’s power-generation capacity.

Nowadays, I sometimes go to bars and restaurants to find people not eating or drinking - they are there just to charge their phones amid the pounding noise of generators.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2krr137x9o

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