Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
THE Government has challenged universities, industry, local authorities and communities to ensure more collaboration in developing and implementing research-driven solutions to Zimbabwe’s growing water security challenges.
Speaking at the inaugural Zimbabwe Water Indaba organised by the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) in Bulawayo on Thursday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Simelisizwe Sibanda said water security requires a multidisciplinary approach that translates research and innovation into practical interventions benefiting communities and industry.
He said universities have a critical role to play in providing scientific expertise, research capacity, innovation and skilled human capital, while Government provides policy direction and an enabling regulatory environment.
Deputy Minister Sibanda said development partners strengthens collaboration and capacity development, while communities contribute indigenous knowledge and lived experiences, making them key beneficiaries of water-related interventions.
“When these stakeholders work together, research moves beyond laboratories and enters society where it can create meaningful impact. I therefore challenge our institutions of higher learning to deepen multidisciplinary approaches to water research,” he said.
Deputy Minister Sibanda said the complexity of water challenges meant that no single discipline or institution could provide all the solutions required to address the country’s water security needs.
He challenged engineers, chemists, environmental scientists, geologists, agricultural specialists, economists, public health practitioners, social scientists, data scientists and policymakers to work together in developing sustainable solutions.
Breaking disciplinary boundaries, Deputy Minister Sibanda said, would enable researchers and students to better understand the interconnected nature of water, agriculture, industry, public health, environmental protection and economic development.
“Students must engage directly with the realities facing municipalities, industries, mines, farmers and communities. They must experience water challenges first-hand and participate in developing practical solutions,” he said.
“A final-year project should not merely fulfil academic requirements but should have the potential to become a prototype and later into a product.”
Deputy Minister Sibanda said institutions of higher learning should ensure that research responded to the challenges confronting communities and industries instead of remaining largely theoretical.
He said stronger links between universities, local authorities and industry could accelerate the development and adoption of locally produced technologies to improve water management.
Deputy Minister Sibanda described water security as a national development imperative, saying inadequate and unreliable water supplies could undermine agricultural transformation and industrial growth while compromising public health through limited access to safe water and sanitation.
“Water security is therefore inseparable from economic growth, social development, environmental protection and national resilience,” he said.
The deputy minister also stressed the importance of protecting the country’s water sources, saying sustainable development could not be achieved without responsible stewardship of rivers, wetlands, aquifers and catchments.
Climate variability, urbanisation, industrial activity and rising demand for water, he said, made it imperative for Zimbabwe to strengthen its capacity to manage the resource.
“Zimbabwe already possesses considerable knowledge regarding many of its water-related problems; the next frontier is implementation,” said Deputy Minister Sibanda.
He said the country needed to translate existing research, scientific knowledge and innovations into practical interventions that improved water availability, quality and management.
Deputy Minister Sibanda said his ministry remained committed to supporting research, innovation, skills development and human capital development that contributed to Zimbabwe’s sustainable development aspirations.
“We encourage our institutions of higher learning to regard the water sector as a strategic frontier for innovation, industrialisation and economic transformation,” he said.
“We equally encourage industry, local authorities and public institutions to open their doors to researchers and students, provide them with real-world challenges, share data, facilitate access to operational environments and test emerging technologies.”
Deputy Minister Sibanda said innovations showing potential should be refined, tested and commercialised through collaboration among stakeholders so that research could generate tangible benefits for communities and the wider economy.
