Kariba Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kariba Dam |
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The dam as seen from Zimbabwe
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| Location | Zambia Zimbabwe |
| Construction began | 1955 |
| Opening date | 1959 |
| Construction cost | US$480 million |
| Owner(s) | Zambezi River Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Arch dam |
| Impounds | Zambezi River |
| Height | 128 m (420 ft) |
| Length | 579 m (1,900 ft) |
The Kariba Dam is a double curvature concrete arch dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dam stands 128 metres (420 ft) tall and 579 metres (1,900 ft) long. The dam forms Lake Kariba which extends for 280 kilometres (170 mi) and holds 185 cubic kilometres (150,000,000 acre⋅ft) of water. It is one of the largest dams in the world.
Construction
The double curvature concrete arch dam was designed by Coyne et Bellier and partially constructed between 1955 and 1959. Final construction and the addition of the Kariba North Power cavern was not completed until 1977 due to largely political problems. During construction, 86 men lost their lives.
The Kariba Dam is owned and operated by the Zambezi River Authority, which is jointly and equally owned by Zimbabwe and Zambia. Since Zambia's independence, two dams have been built on the Kafue River: the Kafue Gorge Dam and the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam.
In March 2014 at a Zambezi River Authority organized conference, engineers warned that the foundations of the dam had weakened and there was a possibility of dam failure unless repairs were made.
On 3 October 2014 the BBC reported that “The Kariba Dam is in a dangerous state. Opened in 1959, it was built on a seemingly solid bed of basalt. But, in the past 50 years, the torrents from the spillway have eroded that bedrock, carving a vast crater that has undercut the dam's foundations.
Engineers are now warning that without urgent repairs, the whole dam will collapse. If that happened, a tsunami-like wall of water would rip through the Zambezi valley, reaching the Mozambique border within eight hours. The torrent would overwhelm Mozambique's Cahora Bassa Dam and knock out 40% of southern Africa's hydroelectric capacity. Along with the devastation of wildlife in the valley, the Zambezi River Authority estimates that the lives of 3.5 million people are at risk.
Power generation
The Kariba Dam supplies electricity to parts of both Zambia (the Copperbelt) and Zimbabwe. Each country has its own power station on the north and south bank of the dam respectively. The south station belonging to Zimbabwe has been in operation since 1960. The north station belonging to Zambia has been in operation since 1976.
In January 2016 it was reported that water levels at the dam had dropped to 12% of capacity. Levels fell by 5.58 metres (18.3 ft) above the minimum operating level for hydro-power. Low rainfalls and overuse of the water by the power plants have left the reservoir near empty, raising the prospect that both Zimbabwe and Zambia will face water shortages.
Images for kids
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The way to Zambia through Kariba Dam
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The dam as seen from Zimbabwe
See also
In Spanish: Presa de Kariba para niños
