Dam · Zambia
How much did Kariba Dam cost to build?
The Kariba Dam is the double-curvature concrete arch dam, 128 m high and 579 m long, on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, forming Lake Kariba of 180 cubic kilometres, built by Impresit of Italy from 1955 to 1959 with only the Kariba South power cavern, officially opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on 17 May 1960, while the Kariba North power cavern was completed in 1977. Wikipedia, the Rhodesian Study Circle and the Chalo Chatu encyclopedia all give 135 million dollars for the first stage and a total cost of 480 million dollars.
Final project cost
$480 million
Cost basis: 1977
Rhys JonesCC BY 2.0
Cost evidence
Basis of the published figure
Final project cost1977
Project metrics
Key dimensions
- Total lengthChalo Chatu
- 579 m
- HeightWebuild
- 128 m
Project record