ZRA joins hydropower body as Kariba Dam rehabilitation and Batoka plans continue

ZRA joins hydropower body as Kariba Dam rehabilitation and Batoka plans continue

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The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) says it has joined the International Hydropower Association (IHA), a step it is presenting as a move towards tighter oversight, stronger accountability and improved confidence in its hydropower work on the Zambezi.

ZRA, which manages the Zambezi River on behalf of Zimbabwe and Zambia, said the membership is intended to align its operations with internationally recognised benchmarks used in the global hydropower sector, including approaches to performance monitoring and knowledge exchange.

In a statement issued this week, ZRA said: “Joining the IHA is about being assessed against international benchmarks. It supports stronger approaches to accountability, performance monitoring, and knowledge exchange so our operations remain credible to partners, communities, and investors.”

For communities and businesses that rely on power and water resources connected to the Zambezi system, the authority’s decision comes as attention remains on the long-running Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project and on future large-scale developments planned for the river.

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ZRA is currently midway through the Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project, which it put at US$294 million. The works are intended to reinforce critical infrastructure, including the dam wall and plunge pools, after decades of erosion and wear.

The authority said its IHA membership would support peer engagement on policies and operational methods, and help ensure project planning and documentation meet standards that are increasingly expected by financiers and technical partners.

ZRA also referenced the impact of climate variability on water levels and river flows, arguing that adopting globally recognised practices can contribute to long-term operational readiness and risk management as conditions shift.

Beyond Kariba, ZRA is also managing development of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme, a proposed 2,400 megawatt project on the Zambezi between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The authority said joining the IHA would help it benchmark Batoka’s planning, including environmental and social considerations, against international standards.

Hydropower plays a central role in the region’s energy ambitions, but communities around major water infrastructure also weigh safety, environmental protection and social impacts when judging whether large projects are being managed responsibly over time.

ZRA’s announcement adds to a wider trend in major infrastructure management, where operators increasingly seek external assessment frameworks to demonstrate transparency and measurable performance.

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