In 2024, a drought hit Zambia — which is still ongoing — and it has proved to be one of the worst the country has experienced in two decades. It has affected the country's agricultural industry, leading to food shortages, and impacted hydroelectric power generation.
Overall, the drought's damage has affected over a million families, and the government has declared it a national disaster.
However, ZNBC reported that the country had good news to share, as officials announced a rise in water levels for both the Kafue and Zambezi Rivers.
According to Minister of Water Development and Sanitation Collins Nzovu, data from more than 169 water monitoring stations showed that river flows improved compared to last year.
An Open Zambia report noted that some areas even saw dramatic improvement, like a section of the Kafue River where Raglan Station in Chingola recorded a 176% rise or the seven-fold increase of water discharge seen on the Zambezi.
It's excellent news for the region, which is still trying to recover from the drought. With rising water levels, Zambia will be better able to grow crops, produce food for its residents, and increase its hydroelectric power generation. More hydroelectric power means the country will again be able to rely on a clean, renewable source of energy and will be less reliant on dirty energy that pollutes the atmosphere.
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Rising water levels will also increase water supplies for people, offer better protection for aquatic species, and help keep ecosystems in better balance.
As good as the news is, Zambia still has much work to do. Water storage in reservoirs is still down from previous years, posing a risk to the country's water security.
Nzovu told Open Zambia that the current water storage level "reflects the slow recovery from the severe drought and continues to pose a threat to water security." Nzovu also declared that "the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation reaffirms its commitment to ongoing surveillance of the nation's water resources."
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