ザンビア：喜んだのはわんこだけ

　ザンビアは電力不足。世界最大級のダムとそのダム湖は、だいぶ貯水量を下げてしまっている。

「Despite having the mighty Zambezi River and the massive hydro-powered Kariba Dam, Zambia is currently grappling with the worst electricity blackouts in living memory.」

　…今まで生きてきて記憶にないほどの渇水だという。

BBC How a mega dam has caused a mega power crisis for Zambia 2 days ago

Kennedy Gondwe

　エルニーニョによる渇水が主原因。石炭火力発電所もあるにはあるが、発電パーセンテージ的には13％に過ぎず、さらには定期検査のお陰で不稼働状態。
　…ソーラーそのほかの電力も3％。水力は84％を占める。それが渇水。詰んだな？

「Zambia sources up to 84% of its electricity from water reservoirs such as lakes and rivers, while only 13% comes from coal.」

「The crisis is so severe that cities and towns across the country are sometimes without electricity for three consecutive days, with people counting themselves lucky if the lights come on for an hour or two.

The power cuts have come as a shock to the 43% of Zambians who are connected to the grid and have taken electricity for granted all their lives.」

　三日も停電が続くような、それほどの電力危機。1～2時間でも電燈がつけば御の字。…ダメでは？

　そのうえ世界的な値上げ基調で、近隣諸国から電気を買おうとしても碌々買えない、と。…詰んでる。

「A financial crunch also severely restricted the government's ability to import power as suppliers wanted payment upfront, though a spokesman for state-owned power utility Zesco, Matongo Maumbi, told the BBC's Focus on Africa podcast that electricity was being imported from Mozambique and South Africa to ease the crisis, especially in the mining industry - Zambia's main export earner and source of foreign currency.」

　そんななか、唯一この状況で利益を得たというのはわんこ。
　なんでって、電気が止まって冷蔵庫が止まって、中の食べ物が悪くなっちゃった。人間的にはかなーりちょっと、というものでも―わんこなら、いける…！

「One day recently, I woke up to be greeted by a foul smell as blood flowed from under the fridge.

All the meat we had bought had gone off and we had to give it to our German Shepherd dog, the happiest member of our household these days.」

　…いーい顔してますな、このジャーマンシェパード。