Which lake is the world’s largest man-made reservoir by water volume?

Lake Kariba is the world’s largest man-made reservoir by water volume.

It was formed by the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dam was completed in 1959, creating a long reservoir in a steep-sided section of the Zambezi valley. At full capacity, Lake Kariba holds roughly 180 cubic kilometres of water.

Hydroelectric stations at the dam supply power to both Zambia and Zimbabwe. The reservoir also supports commercial and subsistence fishing, especially for kapenta, a small sardine-like fish introduced from Lake Tanganyika.

Lake Kariba is sometimes mistaken for Lake Volta, which has the greater surface area. The two records use different measurements: Lake Volta is usually called the largest artificial lake by area, while Lake Kariba holds the volume record.