16/09/2025
THE KARIBA DAM OF 1959 CAN NOT SUSTAIN ELECTRICITY DEMAND OF 2025...(We need a multi-source energy mix,if we are to meet the electricity demand,Kariba alone is now too small...)
Kariba Dam was officially opened in 1959, was a game-changer for Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) and Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia), providing much-needed hydroelectric power. Back then, Zambia's population was around 3 million, with only a handful of people, mines, and industries having access to electricity.
Fast forward to today, Zambia's population has ballooned to approximately 20 million, with a significant majority connected to the power grid. There's been substantial growth in mines, industries, and overall economic activity – all hungry for reliable power. Hydroelectric power, primarily from Kariba Dam, hasn't kept pace with our growth in population.
It's time we looked for other alternative power generation solutions.
What we need is a pragmatic pivot to, embracing renewables energy that will correspond with today's electricity supply demand,it's clear hydro power energy has failed us,it's unreliable due to climatic changes and Lake Kariba is now too small to satisfy the demand.
"Sustainable development requires the engagement of all people".-Jeffrey Sachs.
*Sorry I majored in Development Studies not political science,so my concentration and interest is Development and not 'Politics'...What the country need are more sustainable developmental ideas and less politics, unfortunately the opposite is what's obtaining...*
Attached is a photo of Lusaka City in 1960.
