Kariba Dam
From Free net encyclopedia
The Kariba Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin in Southern Africa. Template:Coor d The double curvature concrete arch dam was constructed between 1955 and 1959 at a cost of $135,000,000 for the first stage with only the Kariba South power cavern. Final construction and the addition of the Kariba North Power cavern was not completed until 1977 due to largely political problems for a total cost of $480,000,000. Around 100 workers were killed during construction.
It is one of the largest dams in the world at 128 m high and 579 m long. The Kariba supplies 1320 MW of electricity to parts of both Zambia (the Copperbelt) and Zimbabwe and generates 6400 GW·h (23 PJ) per annum. Lake Kariba, the reservoir created by the dam, extends for 280 km with a storage capacity of 180 km³.
The creation of the reservoir forced resettlement of about 57,000 people living along the Zambezi. In 1960 to 1961, 'Operation Noah' captured and removed around 6,000 large animals and numerous small ones threatened by the lake's rising waters.