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The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) says sustainable management of transboundary water resources can only be underpinned by championing of collaboration and commitment on the part of stakeholders involved in the management and use of the associated water resources.
ZRA Chief Executive Officer, Munyaradzi, Munodawafa, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to implementing initiatives that will continue to contribute to equitable water use, contribute to energy security, and ecological sustainability, for the benefit of current and future generations.
Munodawafa said this during the Zambia Water Forum held at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Kenneth Kaunda Wing under the theme: “Integrating Solutions for Sustainable Development: Exploring the Water-Energy-Food and Ecological Nexus.”
He stressed the need for stakeholders to work together to build practical and integrated solutions that drive meaningful change in the face of climate change and beyond.
“By fostering dialogue, reflection, and innovation, we can unlock new economic opportunities, promote regional integration, and reaffirm the Zambezi River’s role in sustainable development,” Munodawafa said.
He noted that energy production at Kariba had faced challenging times in recent years, mainly due to the impacts of climate change and El Nino weather conditions that countries continue to face.
Munodawafa said through collaborative efforts with the two power generation utilities at Kariba dam, namely ZESCO Limited in Zambia and Zimbabwe Power Company of Zimbabwe, the authority had in a best and optimal way sustainably utilised the available water.
“This to ensure that the authority continue operating both the Kariba North Bank and Kariba South Bank Power Stations without any of them shutting down due to exhaustion of usable water for power generation,” he said.
He said at the local level, ZRA had recognised the challenges and were implementing key initiatives through the newly launched corporate strategy of 2025-29.
“This include the implementation of the Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project (KDRP) that aims at extending the life of the Kariba dam and safeguarding the dam’s structural integrity, to the benefit of current and future generations,” Munodawafa stated.
Munodawafwa highlighted the other initiative as the development of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES) in order to realise 2,400MW of renewable energy and reduce electricity deficits faced by the Republics of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“The Engineering Feasibility Studies (EFS) and Environmental Impact Assessment (ESIA) are already complete,” he said.
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