By Obiabin Onukwugha
Climate impacts is sweeping across African countries. From flooding to excessive head, El nino propelled droughts and health challenges, different countries of the continent are grappling for survival.
Recently, Zambian authorities announced thst it will shut down the country’s hydropower plant as Kariba dries up
In a development that highlights the harsh the decision was due to lack of water
Climate change-related droughts have resulted in a significant drop in water levels on Lake Kariba to the point where there is no longer enough water for hydropower generation. The lake, which is shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe, is on the Zambezi river, one of Africa’s main rivers whose catchment areas have suffered from climate change-related droughts over the past few years.
The southern African region is currently reeling from the effects of a severe El Nino-induced drought. These droughts and heightened evaporation from increased heat have caused the lake’s water levels to drop to record lows.
The lake’s live water storage (water available for power generation) was reported to have dropped to just 8 per cent, resulting in Zambia announcing that the powerplant on its side of the lake will be shut on September 14, 2024.
A statement from the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) said the water supply situation had become critically low, forcing it to start plans to shut down its power plant on the lake.
Kariba has two hydropower plants, the 1,080-megawatt (MW) Kariba North Bank Power Station operated by Zambia and the 1,050 MW Kariba South Bank Power Station operated by the Zimbabwe Power Company.
This is the second time power generation had to be stopped on the world’s largest artificial lake since it was created in 1959. The first time was in November 2022, when power generation was stopped on the Zimbabwean side due to low water levels.
Power generation on Kariba is designed to operate in the top 13 metres of the lake, between levels 475.5 metres and 488.5 m (with 0.7 m freeboard). It is these 13 metres of water that is on the cusp of depletion, making power generation impossible.
‘8% useable storage of water left’
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), a bi-national body that manages the water resources on the shared lake, said that as of August 26, 2024, the lake’s live storage (the water available for power generation) had dropped from its design operating capacity of 13 metres to just 1.26 metres.
“The lake level is steadily decreasing due to low inflow, closing the period under review at 476.76m (8.71 per cent usable storage) on August 26, 2024,” the authority noted in its weekly report.
Because of the critical fall in the lake’s live storage, power generation on the Zambia side has been reduced to just 98 MW, while that on the Zimbabwean plant has fallen to 214 MW.
With the rains still some three months away, experts said the Zimbabwean plant is also expected to stop power generation later in the year. The lake’s record lowest live storage of 475.60 metres (about 0.8 per cent usable storage or just 10 cm above the minimum operating level) was recorded on December 30, 2022.
This has thrown the two southern African nations that primarily depend on Kariba for electricity into severe energy crisis that has seen Zambia increasing daily powercuts to 20 hours, while in Zimbabwe the powercuts now extend beyond 12 hours.
In Monrovia severe flooding in the city, displacing tens of thousands of people, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). The city is prone to flood due to overpopulation, poor sewage system, and the lack of building regulations.
The NDMA Executive Director, Ansu Dulleh, said the scale of the flooding is “unlike any we have ever witnessed”, mainly affecting women, children, and the elderly. “Our systems are overwhelmed and cannot address all the competing needs associated with this crisis,” Dulleh said.
Monrovia which lies on the Atlantic coast is home to 1.5 million people and is the economic, political, and cultural hub of Liberia. Senate committee in July discussed the possibility of moving the capital to a part of the country that is not flood-prone,
In a statement issued on Sunday, September 22, City Mayor, John Siafa described the situation as alarming and emphasized the management team’s deep concern, particularly regarding the street floods.
Mayor Siafa acknowledged the significant threat and forced displacement caused by the flooding, affecting thousands of city residents. He stated that the management is actively seeking necessary measures to manage the situation effectively.
“As a City Government, our goal is to collaborate with stakeholders to identify the cause of the flooding and implement strategies that will likely prevent future occurrences,” the release noted.
While the exact causes of the severe flooding remain undetermined, the City Government is consulting with subject matter experts to understand the underlying factors fully. “We are taking concrete steps to address the situation both immediately and in the long run,” the statement added.
The government has initiated collaborations with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and other local and international partners to tackle the crisis.
“Preliminary findings suggest that the City of Monrovia and its environs are not immune to the effects of climate change, which can intensify rainfall and increase the likelihood of flooding,” the statement indicated.
In Nigeria there have been excess rain that has caused heavy floodings in about 11 states.
The situation has caused the United Nations to announce a $6 million contribution from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund to assist victims of the Borno flood.
UN agencies and NGOs have been working on the ground, providing emergency food, clean water, and sanitation services in Maidiguri, Borno state since excess rain led to the colllapse of a dam in the state.
According to the UN, over 1 million people have been displaced in Maiduguri alone, with extensive damage to infrastructure, homes, and farmland.
The collapse of the Alau Dam has devastated large parts of the state, with 37 people confirmed dead and extensive damage to critical infrastructure. Zulum noted that the region had not experienced a disaster of such magnitude since a similar event in 1994.
UN officials reported that over 200,000 to 300,000 people remain displaced, with urgent needs for food, shelter, and health services. The World Food Programme (WFP) has set up soup kitchens in several IDP camps, aiming to provide hot meals to thousands of the worst-affected residents.
The UN reported that across Nigeria, more than 800,000 people in 29 states have been impacted by floods, with hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland destroyed.