A negotiation with neighboring Zambia and Zimbabwe could allow 20 to 25 billion cubic meters of water from the Zambezi River to enter the country, in response to the low level of storage in the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric (HCB) reservoir.

The possibility of negotiation was put forward to "Notícias" by Agostinho Vilanculo, head of the Hydraulic Basin Management Department at the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources.

The storage level of the Cahora Bassa reservoir is 20%, contrary to the normal rainy season level of at least 70%, corresponding to 30 to 35 billion cubic meters.

According to a source, the negotiation will be necessary because, in the event of rain upstream, these two countries will prioritize raising the levels of their dams.

"The water market is a possibility. It means negotiating and buying water from Zimbabwe and Zambia. Zambia has been clear that it won't let more than 12 billion cubic meters pass, and that's not enough for us," he explained.

He stressed that ideally at least 20 to 25 billion cubic meters should be allowed to pass through in order to leverage the reservoir of the HCB dam.

For Vilankulo, this alternative negotiation has the merit of taking into account HCB's strong power generation capacity compared to the Kariba dam, located between Zambia and Zimbabwe, across the Zambezi River basin.