Kariba
At Kariba, the past is imbedded in the landscape. The shallows are forests of dead trees. Things are present where they shouldn’t be: Trees in water; water where there should be trees. The forests have been submerged for over fifty years.
The dam’s construction started in 1956, and the Tonga were forced to vacate their homes in the valley. The God, Nyami Nyami, the Zambezi Snake Spirit, is said to live there. The Tonga believe building Kariba angered Nyami Nyami and its wall separated him from his wife. When the earth tremors, as it has done since, Nyami Nyami is trying to reconnect with her, and it is said that he will destroy the dam.
During the flood many animals were displaced too. In ‘Operation Noah’ Rupert Fothergill and his team used a small boat to rescue thousands of creatures—rhinos and leopards; snakes and birds.
Today, Kariba’s hydroelectric plant supplies Zimbabwe and Zambia with electricity, but water levels have dropped by 30%. The countries feel Kariba for its water levels are their levels of light. Zimbabwe only get a few hours of electricity per day now and may soon be plunged in total darkness.
Kariba's shrinking waterbody speaks of many crises, and circumnavigating it is to listen.
The dam’s construction started in 1956, and the Tonga were forced to vacate their homes in the valley. The God, Nyami Nyami, the Zambezi Snake Spirit, is said to live there. The Tonga believe building Kariba angered Nyami Nyami and its wall separated him from his wife. When the earth tremors, as it has done since, Nyami Nyami is trying to reconnect with her, and it is said that he will destroy the dam.
During the flood many animals were displaced too. In ‘Operation Noah’ Rupert Fothergill and his team used a small boat to rescue thousands of creatures—rhinos and leopards; snakes and birds.
Today, Kariba’s hydroelectric plant supplies Zimbabwe and Zambia with electricity, but water levels have dropped by 30%. The countries feel Kariba for its water levels are their levels of light. Zimbabwe only get a few hours of electricity per day now and may soon be plunged in total darkness.
Kariba's shrinking waterbody speaks of many crises, and circumnavigating it is to listen.