By 8 April 2024, the Zambezi River Authority, which owns and manages Lake Kariba, announced that water in the lake had dropped to just 13.52% of its capacity. Water levels in the lake fluctuate according to the rainfall – this time last year, the lake was 21.94% full, but levels dropped as low as 12% in 2015. Researchers say national parks authorities in both Zimbabwe and Zambia also need to put in robust measures for decreasing the number of human-wildlife conflicts. This can be done by identifying areas of high animal activity at the lake and directing humans away from this. Communities are also unaware of the relationship between a drop in water levels and human-wildlife conflict, and more awareness should be created about this.

SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION