The curved wall
A concrete arch in the gorge.
Rhys Jones — CC BY 2.0 · JonGT — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Suesen — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Manfidza — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Musemburid — CC BY 4.0
Kariba Dam is a double-curvature concrete arch dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi River, on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. It stands 128 metres tall and 579 metres long, about 4 km in a straight line from the town of Kariba. The dam was built between 1955 and 1959 and officially opened on 17 May 1960. Eighty-six workers died during construction. Its northern section was completed in 1977. The dam supplies about 2,010 megawatts of electricity to Zambia and Zimbabwe, each country running a power station on its own bank. Behind the dam, Lake Kariba stretches for 280 km. From the viewpoint, the curved concrete wall cuts across the gorge between green hills, its spillway gates visible, while the river runs on through the valley below. Sunset over the lake is one of the finest sights in Kariba. The dam is key infrastructure and a border crossing into Zambia, so follow the guards' instructions on photography and stopping, and do not cross to the Zambian side without border formalities. Visit in the morning or before sunset to avoid the valley's heat.
A concrete arch in the gorge.
A lake 280 km long.
The sun over the water.
Kariba Gorge, Zambezi River, Kariba, Zimbabwe
Follow the guards' instructions; the dam is key infrastructure and a border crossing.
Lake Kariba stretches 280 km behind the dam.