Kariba storage nearly double last year's level

LUSAKA, October 11, 2026. Usable storage at Lake Kariba stood at 47.47 percent on July 21, 2026, according to the Zambezi River Authority. A year earlier it was 23.90 percent. The lake peaked at 482.21 metres, or 48.55 percent of usable storage, on June 27. It has been falling slowly in the dry season. Normal rains this year raised inflows well above last year's. The Authority raised its 2026 water allocation for power to 36 billion cubic metres. That is 18 billion each for ZESCO and the Zimbabwe Power Company. The earlier allocation was 30 billion. In October 2024 the dam held only about 13 percent of usable water. It has not been this full since 2019, according to Energy News Network. The dam gives Zambia a better base than it had during the drought. Levels fall through the dry months, so the October figure matters. **Sources:** Zambezi River Authority hydrological outlook (July 21, 2026); Energy News Network (August 1, 2026); Zambia Monitor.