Free tools · Measured from space
Surface water in Dr Kenneth Kaunda
In 2025, Dr Kenneth Kaunda had 112 km² of open water on average, 92.0 km² of it nearly all year. The wettest year since 1984 was 2025 (112 km²); the driest 1984 (20.3 km²).
Open water seen on the ground from space: dams, lakes, rivers wide enough to see, pans, wetlands with open water and flooded fields. Each year, the Landsat satellites look at every 30 m spot many times; where the sky is clear, each look says water or not. The average water area counts each spot for the share of its clear looks that were wet. Permanent water was wet in more than 80% of the clear looks; seasonal water was wet at least once but less often than that.
What it isn’t: not how full a dam is (that is the Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly level, by volume), not groundwater, not rain, and not water in pipes or tanks. Narrow rivers, water under trees or bridges and anything smaller than about 30 m are missed. A year with few clear looks (cloud, or the early years when fewer satellites flew) is less sure, and 1988 is missing everywhere because Digital Earth Africa does not have it: a missing year is left out, never counted as dry.
2025
- 112 km²Water on average0.76% of the land; 155% of the 1991 to 2020 average (72.1 km²)
- 92.0 km²PermanentWater in more than 80% of the clear looks
- 228 km²SeasonalWet at least once, but not most of the year
- 99%Of the place seenThe share with at least one clear look
The wettest and driest years
- 2025Wettest, 112 km²320 km² wet at some point
- 1984Driest, 20.3 km²18.9 km² permanent
Among the 40 years in which at least 90% as much of the place was seen as in its best year (1 less well seen year is left out), so a cloudy year cannot pass for a dry one.
Every year since 1984
Show the numbers
| When or what | Figure |
|---|---|
| 1984 | 20.3 km² on average, 18.9 km² permanent |
| 1985 | 1.60 km² on average, 1.60 km² permanent |
| 1986 | 41.1 km² on average, 22.9 km² permanent |
| 1987 | 43.5 km² on average, 40.7 km² permanent |
| 1988 | not held |
| 1989 | 109 km² on average, 88.8 km² permanent |
| 1990 | 71.1 km² on average, 56.3 km² permanent |
| 1991 | 78.2 km² on average, 63.4 km² permanent |
| 1992 | 32.3 km² on average, 21.8 km² permanent |
| 1993 | 34.7 km² on average, 21.3 km² permanent |
| 1994 | 42.4 km² on average, 25.5 km² permanent |
| 1995 | 32.5 km² on average, 22.3 km² permanent |
| 1996 | 91.8 km² on average, 78.2 km² permanent |
| 1997 | 92.9 km² on average, 67.6 km² permanent |
| 1998 | 92.2 km² on average, 75.6 km² permanent |
| 1999 | 72.0 km² on average, 60.8 km² permanent |
| 2000 | 87.6 km² on average, 74.0 km² permanent |
| 2001 | 89.1 km² on average, 73.0 km² permanent |
| 2002 | 85.8 km² on average, 76.9 km² permanent |
| 2003 | 59.6 km² on average, 38.4 km² permanent |
| 2004 | 45.5 km² on average, 33.6 km² permanent |
| 2005 | 42.7 km² on average, 31.9 km² permanent |
| 2006 | 92.9 km² on average, 81.4 km² permanent |
| 2007 | 74.9 km² on average, 63.8 km² permanent |
| 2008 | 82.0 km² on average, 69.8 km² permanent |
| 2009 | 88.3 km² on average, 70.9 km² permanent |
| 2010 | 97.0 km² on average, 79.5 km² permanent |
| 2011 | 96.7 km² on average, 80.7 km² permanent |
| 2012 | 75.4 km² on average, 61.0 km² permanent |
| 2013 | 53.5 km² on average, 37.7 km² permanent |
| 2014 | 84.4 km² on average, 72.3 km² permanent |
| 2015 | 64.0 km² on average, 51.2 km² permanent |
| 2016 | 35.5 km² on average, 27.4 km² permanent |
| 2017 | 88.8 km² on average, 76.6 km² permanent |
| 2018 | 79.7 km² on average, 65.7 km² permanent |
| 2019 | 80.9 km² on average, 59.2 km² permanent |
| 2020 | 90.2 km² on average, 78.6 km² permanent |
| 2021 | 98.2 km² on average, 82.1 km² permanent |
| 2022 | 110 km² on average, 92.5 km² permanent |
| 2023 | 103 km² on average, 86.5 km² permanent |
| 2024 | 86.0 km² on average, 75.1 km² permanent |
| 2025 | 112 km² on average, 92.0 km² permanent |
| Year | Water on average | Permanent | Seasonal | Wet at some point | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 112 km² | 92.0 km² | 228 km² | 320 km² | 99% |
| 2024 | 86.0 km² | 75.1 km² | 106 km² | 181 km² | 99% |
| 2023 | 103 km² | 86.5 km² | 224 km² | 311 km² | 99% |
| 2022 | 110 km² | 92.5 km² | 226 km² | 319 km² | 99% |
| 2021 | 98.2 km² | 82.1 km² | 242 km² | 324 km² | 99% |
| 2020 | 90.2 km² | 78.6 km² | 85.0 km² | 164 km² | 99% |
| 2019 | 80.9 km² | 59.2 km² | 113 km² | 173 km² | 99% |
| 2018 | 79.7 km² | 65.7 km² | 111 km² | 177 km² | 99% |
| 2017 | 88.8 km² | 76.6 km² | 104 km² | 180 km² | 99% |
| 2016 | 35.5 km² | 27.4 km² | 69.9 km² | 97.3 km² | 99% |
| 2015 | 64.0 km² | 51.2 km² | 92.5 km² | 144 km² | 99% |
| 2014 | 84.4 km² | 72.3 km² | 76.2 km² | 148 km² | 99% |
| 2013 | 53.5 km² | 37.7 km² | 70.5 km² | 108 km² | 99% |
| 2012 | 75.4 km² | 61.0 km² | 45.5 km² | 106 km² | 99% |
| 2011 | 96.7 km² | 80.7 km² | 62.0 km² | 143 km² | 99% |
| 2010 | 97.0 km² | 79.5 km² | 60.6 km² | 140 km² | 99% |
| 2009 | 88.3 km² | 70.9 km² | 62.8 km² | 134 km² | 99% |
| 2008 | 82.0 km² | 69.8 km² | 68.0 km² | 138 km² | 99% |
| 2007 | 74.9 km² | 63.8 km² | 78.8 km² | 143 km² | 99% |
| 2006 | 92.9 km² | 81.4 km² | 88.2 km² | 170 km² | 99% |
| 2005 | 42.7 km² | 31.9 km² | 40.7 km² | 72.5 km² | 99% |
| 2004 | 45.5 km² | 33.6 km² | 56.4 km² | 90.0 km² | 99% |
| 2003 | 59.6 km² | 38.4 km² | 65.9 km² | 104 km² | 99% |
| 2002 | 85.8 km² | 76.9 km² | 44.8 km² | 122 km² | 99% |
| 2001 | 89.1 km² | 73.0 km² | 115 km² | 188 km² | 99% |
| 2000 | 87.6 km² | 74.0 km² | 66.2 km² | 140 km² | 99% |
| 1999 | 72.0 km² | 60.8 km² | 35.5 km² | 96.2 km² | 99% |
| 1998 | 92.2 km² | 75.6 km² | 102 km² | 178 km² | 99% |
| 1997 | 92.9 km² | 67.6 km² | 98.8 km² | 166 km² | 99% |
| 1996 | 91.8 km² | 78.2 km² | 42.5 km² | 121 km² | 99% |
| 1995 | 32.5 km² | 22.3 km² | 52.8 km² | 75.1 km² | 99% |
| 1994 | 42.4 km² | 25.5 km² | 43.8 km² | 69.3 km² | 99% |
| 1993 | 34.7 km² | 21.3 km² | 60.6 km² | 81.9 km² | 99% |
| 1992 | 32.3 km² | 21.8 km² | 37.0 km² | 58.7 km² | 99% |
| 1991 | 78.2 km² | 63.4 km² | 70.2 km² | 134 km² | 99% |
| 1990 | 71.1 km² | 56.3 km² | 54.5 km² | 111 km² | 99% |
| 1989 | 109 km² | 88.8 km² | 118 km² | 206 km² | 99% |
| 1987 | 43.5 km² | 40.7 km² | 5.69 km² | 46.4 km² | 99% |
| 1986 | 41.1 km² | 22.9 km² | 54.9 km² | 77.8 km² | 99% |
| 1985 | 1.60 km² | 1.60 km² | none | 1.60 km² | 11% |
| 1984 | 20.3 km² | 18.9 km² | 4.00 km² | 22.9 km² | 91% |
A year missing from the table is one Digital Earth Africa does not have for this place (1988 everywhere, 1985 in some places).
Every municipality, ranked · Everything we hold for Dr Kenneth Kaunda · On the explore map
Source
Measured from space by the American Landsat satellites: not a survey on the ground.
Credits and how we worked this out
Water Observations from Space, Digital Earth Africa (CC BY 4.0), modified: we counted each 30 m pixel over every 2026 ward and added the wards up into municipalities, districts and provinces. Under CC BY 4.0, from the AWS Registry of Open Data.
Landsat imagery courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Mueller, N. and others (2016): Water observations from space: mapping surface water from 25 years of Landsat imagery across Australia, Remote Sensing of Environment 174, 341 to 352.
Dataset: surface water by ward, release of 12 November 2026.