Flood management and spillway capacity during works on the Kariba dam rehabilitation project

After 60 years of operation, the Kariba dam on the Zambezi river requires a series of rehabilitation works for its continued safe operation, including reshaping of the plunge pool to prevent further scouring, and refurbishment of the spillway. As well as describing the project, this paper aims to reassess the flood management plan of ZRA by considering the frequency of extreme hydrological events, assess the probability of their occurrence during the works, and verify the available spillway capacity without disruption of the works. The authors also recommend the maximum water level in the lake necessary in January for flood attenuation within acceptable risk bounds