Online Reporter
Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE is transforming dams from standalone water infrastructure into economic hubs that support irrigation, fisheries, electricity generation and water supply to climate-proof agriculture and unlock new investment.
Speaking at the Infrastructure Panel at the National Agriculture Conference 2026 in Harare, ZINWA water supply services manager Mr Stanley Mazombe said the Government is changing its approach to dam development to ensure that complementary economic activities are planned and implemented alongside dam construction.
“In prior years, what would happen is we were constructing dams,” Mr Mazombe said.
He said this approach often resulted in delays because irrigation, water treatment and other activities were treated as separate projects.
“There was a mismatch that would happen between other activities that would also accompany the dam construction,” he said.
Under the new approach, dams are being viewed as enablers of wider economic activity rather than projects that are considered complete once the physical structure has been constructed.
Zimbabwe has thousands of small, medium and large dams, with historical geographic data recording nearly 10 000 total water bodies and reservoirs across the country.
