The Zambezi River Authority is reporting higher river flows and a gradual increase in reservoir storage levels across the Kariba catchment during the ongoing 2025/26 rainfall season.

Providing an update on the hydrological outlook for the Kariba catchment, including the status of water levels in the reservoir at the Kariba dam, the authority said that hydrological data recorded by its gauging stations located across the Kariba catchment indicates improved rainfall performance across much of the catchment.

The authority recorded data from key monitoring points and gauging stations within the Kariba catchment, including at the Kariba dam, Chavuma and Victoria Falls gauging stations.

The hydrological data shows that the water level in the Kariba reservoir has been gradually rising since the start of the 2025/26 rainfall season, mostly owing to intensified rainfall activity on and around Lake Kariba.

This is expected to continue toward the end of the first quarter of 2026.

As at March 10, the Kariba reservoir level stood at 477.74 m above sea level, with usable live storage of 15.57%, which is equivalent to 10.08-billion cubic metres of usable water.

This is an improvement on comparative date last year, when the reservoir stood at 476.93 m above sea level, with usable live storage of 9.87%, or 6.44-billion cubic metres of stored usable water.

Meanwhile, the Zambezi river flows at the Chavuma gauging station are gradually rising and are slightly higher than those recorded during the same period in 2025.

The situation is likely to improve by mid-March 2026, owing to increased rainfall activity projected in the Kariba lower and upper catchments.

Flows recorded at the Chavuma gauging station reached 3 058 m³ a second on March 10, compared with 2 088 m³ a second recorded on the same date in 2025.

This indicates stronger inflows into the Zambezi river system from the upper catchment during the current season.

Further, the Zambezi river flows at Victoria Falls gauging station are also gradually rising owing to rainfall upstream and around the Victoria Falls area.

Hydrological monitoring shows that flows recorded at the Victoria Falls (Nana’s Farm) gauging station reached 1 645 m³ a second on March 10, compared with 871 m³ a second in the comparative period last year.

The authority will continue to monitor rainfall and inflow conditions across the basin to guide water use at the Kariba hydro power stations.