Sat Nov 16 13:27:03 UTC 2024: ## Zambia’s Drought Exposes Urban Bias and Hydropower Dependence
**LUSAKA, ZAMBIA** – Zambia is grappling with a devastating drought that has exposed deep-seated inequalities and the risks of over-reliance on hydropower, highlighting the urgent need for policy reform. The crisis, affecting both urban and rural areas, has resulted in widespread power outages, crop failures, and a surge in malnutrition and disease.
The severe drought, the worst in over four decades, has reduced the Zambezi River’s flow to historic lows, crippling the Kariba Dam, a major source of electricity for Zambia and Zimbabwe. Only one of six turbines on the Zambian side is currently operational, leaving cities experiencing days-long power cuts. While urban areas with historically high electricity access (75%) are suffering, the impact on rural communities, who already lack access, is even more severe. Agricultural production has plummeted, leading to food inflation, malnutrition (with over 50,000 children under five at risk of severe wasting), and a cholera outbreak.
Experts attribute this crisis to a confluence of factors. Climate change has exacerbated an existing problem rooted in decades of government policies prioritizing urban development over rural needs. This urban bias is reflected in skewed resource allocation, with significant tax benefits favoring urban elites and large landowners, leaving subsistence farmers behind. The resulting income inequality is stark, with rural children facing significantly lower access to essential services like clean water, electricity, and sanitation compared to their urban counterparts.
Furthermore, Zambia’s heavy reliance on hydropower, a colonial legacy, is proving unsustainable. While dams offer benefits such as flood control and irrigation, the Kariba Dam’s current crisis demonstrates the vulnerability of this approach to climate change. Billions of dollars have been invested in hydropower projects across Africa, despite increasing evidence of climate change’s impact on water resources. The Kariba Dam’s construction also displaced thousands, highlighting the social costs often ignored in such projects.
The crisis underscores the need for a fundamental shift in policy. Addressing Zambia’s challenges requires a prioritization of rural development, ensuring reliable access to water, energy, and food for all citizens. This necessitates a reassessment of hydropower dependence and a commitment to more equitable resource distribution, moving beyond the historical urban bias that has exacerbated the impact of the current drought. Failure to act decisively risks further devastating consequences.
First Piper 