Water levels at Victoria Falls had increased by 200% as of 27th May 2020 compared to last year’s flow on the same date. The recorded flow is 57% higher than the long-term average river flow for the Victoria Falls. This is against a background of extensive international media reporting that the Victoria Falls was drying up for the past couple of years.
This news of increased water levels should have brought excitement to the hearts of many water falls enthusiasts, especially with the risk of climate change, which is evident to all. The falls flowing at their peak gives a breath of relief to environmentalist as the ecosystem around it will thrive. It allows Mother Nature to operate at her finest.
But alas! With the Covid -19 pandemic still around us, tourists from all over the world are still unable to travel to Livingstone the tourist capital of Zambia due to some travel restrictions still in place. Therefore, 2020 can safely be said to be a missed water falls viewing opportunity for most international tourists except for local visitors. All factors being equal, the Victoria Falls which is still at its peak, could have given international tourists a life-time opportunity to view the beautiful and magnificent water falls before the water recedes later in the year.
The Zambian government had earlier on directed that the Victoria Falls and other tourist sites in Zambia be reopened to the public under the “New Normal”. It was to be done under the prescribed health guidelines such as masking up and physical distancing. But this has not been possible to do as some travel restrictions that were beginning to be eased up have in some cases been re-introduced due to the resurgence of the second wave of COVID-19.
We encourage water falls enthusiasts to look forward to a productive 2021 water falls viewing opportunity post COVID-19 and never to loose hope.