Drying Victoria Falls Sparks Concern Over Climate Change

Victoria Falls, the 100m high torrent on the Zambezi river, has dried to a trickle, fuelling fears that climate change could devastate one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions.

The waterfalls, located between Zimbabwe and Zambia, have drawn millions of holidaymakers to the region, and the Zambezi river supplies a vital source of hydroelectricity for both countries. The diminished flow comes in the midst of the worst drought to hit the region in a century. 

Though the falls typically slow down during the dry season, this unprecedented decline in water levels has sparked serious concerns amongst those who depend on tourism to the falls for their livelihoods.  Dominic Nyambe, a seller of tourist handicrafts in Livingstone, Zambia, said that “It affects us, because… clients … can see on the internet (that the falls are low) … . We don’t have so many tourists”

Elsewhere, sections of the Zambezi river have transformed to bare stone, causing power cuts in both Zimbabwe and Zambia, which are heavily reliant on hydropower from the Kariba Dam. The severe drought across southern Africa has already caused taps to run dry and left some 45million in need of food aid due to crop failures.   

Data collected by the Zambezi River Authority puts water flow at its lowest level since 1995. Zambian President Edgar Lungu called it a “stark reminder of what climate change is doing to our environment”. 

Richard Beilfuss, head of the international Crane Foundation, who has studied the Zambezi for the last 30 years, theorises that climate change is delaying the monsoon, “concentrating rain in bigger events which are then much harder to store, and a much longer, excruciating dry season”.