Zambia Develops Plans to Address Electricity Needs Amid Drought Threat to Hydropower
Zambia has developed strategies to import and manage electricity as a severe drought threatens to impact hydropower generation, the nation’s primary power source, as reported by Reuters.
The ongoing dry spell, declared a national disaster, is anticipated to negatively affect food production and could have repercussions on the mining sector, a vital component of Zambia’s economy as the second-largest copper producer in Africa.
President Hichilema highlighted that the energy sector is projected to face a deficit of nearly 450 to over 500 megawatts this year due to the prolonged dry spell.
In response, plans have been announced to realign the 2024 national budget, allocating more resources toward mitigation efforts.
“The current projections indicate that over a million farming households will be affected,” President Hichilema stated, noting that the drought has devastated approximately 1 million hectares of the 2.2 million hectares of crops planted.
Furthermore, Zambia, which defaulted on its debt three years ago, is seeking to renegotiate its debt under the G20 Common Framework, aiming to facilitate rapid and seamless debt restructurings for low-income nations.
President Hichilema emphasized the urgency of Zambia’s situation and called on both official and private creditors to expedite the debt restructuring process.
President Hichilema also appealed to multilateral development agencies and donor countries to provide humanitarian support to Zambia, including food assistance.
Commitments from Britain, the United Nations, and the World Bank have already been secured to assist Zambia in addressing the challenges posed by the drought.
