Ready for power shift

An unprecedented drought forces hydropower- dependent Zambia to diversify its energy portfolio, embrace solar power

- TSITSI BHOBO AND RAY MWAREYA

ZAMBIA, ENDURING the worst drought in at least half a century, is scrambling for ways to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and an economic collapse. Despite a few spells of rain in January and February, large parts of the country continue to reel from severe food and energy crises. Estimates by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show that the drought, which forced the government to declare a national emergency in February 2024, has affected over 1 million farming families (6.6 million people) who depend on rain-fed agriculture. Millions of people are in urgent need of assistance as hunger is rising along with the burden of waterborne diseases like cholera.

In a significant blow to Zambia's economy, which is among the poorest in the world and is recovering from a debt crisis, the drought has throttled its hydropower plants that cater to 83 per cent of the country's electricity demand. Major facilities like the 1,080 megawatt (MW)-Kariba dam faced near total shutdown as the lake Kariba approached record low levels. Though the recent spells of rain raised the lake's water level to 477.82 m by February 20, it is just 7.27 per cent of its usable storage capacity, according to the Zambezi River Authority, and does little to improve the prolonged hours of power disruptions across the country. This has disrupted small-scale industries and businesses, which, according to Zambia’s finance ministry, contribute 70 per cent to GDP (gross domestic product) and provide 88 per cent of employment.