Low water levels in the artificial Lake Kariba on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe caused a series of earthquakes. According to officials, the energy infrastructure built in the region is in good condition, but many experts fear that it will soon collapse.
In December, near the largest artificial lake in the world, Kariba, where a power station was built to provide electricity to Zambia and Zimbabwe, the earth shook seven times. The largest earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.9, was recorded early last week and occurred 20 kilometers from Lake Kariba, but Monday's earthquake, with its epicenter under the lake, is of greater concern.
The dam is in danger of breaking
The authorities of the water reservoir explained on Saturday that “these earthquakes occurred as a result of changes in the water level, which is currently at its lowest level in half a century.” They also assured that the structure of the hydroelectric power plant is still stable and mentioned that more than a thousand earthquakes have occurred in the region since 1963, when the dam was filled.
Many independent experts disagree with the government's position that the Zambezi dam and the power plant it supports are at risk of collapse. The dam was built in the 50s with defects. The movement of the water falling from it was wrongly determined, and over the decades, it carved a huge pool under the foundation of the dam, the depth of which is more than 90 meters.
– The structure has weakened and fortunately, the drought caused the lake's water level to drop in history, because if the reservoir quickly fills with water, the dam could collapse just as quickly, – said Manase Banda, a Zambian hydrologist.
The dam was built by the British colonial authorities with the white residents in mind. Tens of thousands of indigenous people were driven out of the region for its needs and have not received compensation to this day. Although colonialism ended in Zambia in 1964, people living near the dam do not use it because they do not have access to electricity. In Zambia, almost 90 percent of the population is lacking food due to drought.
Kariba prison Shutterstock
Main image source: Shutterstock
