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Walter Nyamukondiwa
Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
The Zambezi River Authority has increased water allocation for power generation in 2025 to 27 billion cubic metres (BCM), up from the 16BCM allocated at the beginning of 2024.
Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) will get 13,5BCM while Zambia’s Zesco will also get the same for power generation.
In an update on the situation in Lake Kariba, ZRA chief executive Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the authority considered the hydrological simulations after the Southern African Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF) predictions for the season.
“The authority, in collaboration with Zesco and ZPC, has finalised the water allocation processes for power generation at Kariba Dam for the year 2025,” said Engineer Munodawafa.
“Upon consulting both Zesco and ZPC, it was agreed that a total of 27 billion cubic meters of water be allocated for power generation at Kariba Dam for 2025.”
Engineer Munodawafa said the water allocation will be reviewed at the end of the first quarter of 2025, taking into account the actual rainfall performance for the 2024/2025 rainfall season, river inflows and the resulting water levels at Kariba Dam.
SARCOF predicted that the SADC region will receive normal to above-normal rainfall during the 2024/2025 rainfall season.
However, Zimbabwe and Zambia’s meteorological departments downscaled the forecasts, indicating that the Kariba lower catchment (covering northern Zimbabwe) and the North-Eastern Angola section of the Zambezi River catchment are likely to receive below-normal rainfall from October 2024 to January 2025.
Online Reporter