Govt seals €20m deal to restore Lake Chivero

Debra Matabvu-Senior Reporter

GOVERNMENT has secured about €20 million (US$23 million) to fund a major ecological restoration programme for Lake Chivero, in an intervention aimed at reversing decades of pollution and environmental degradation at Harare’s primary water source.

Lake Chivero supplies potable water to millions of residents in the capital and surrounding areas.

The five-year rehabilitation project will be implemented in partnership with LG Sonic, a Netherlands-based environmental technology company that specialises in chemical-free water restoration systems.

The company is renowned for its expertise in the control of harmful algal blooms and long-term ecosystem recovery in polluted lakes and reservoirs.

Half of the funding has been secured as a grant from the Dutch government, significantly lowering Zimbabwe’s fiscal exposure while enabling the deployment of advanced water restoration technologies that authorities say will reduce long-term water treatment costs.

The initiative was announced by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion in Harare yesterday.

It said Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube met LG Sonic chief executive officer Mr Yousef Yousef on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where they discussed sustainable solutions to restore the lake.

“Professor Mthuli Ncube held a productive engagement with LG Sonic CEO Yousef Yousef to discuss advanced, science-based solutions for the treatment and restoration of Lake Chivero, one of Zimbabwe’s most critical water bodies supplying Harare and surrounding areas,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Lake Chivero has suffered severe ecological decline due to decades of untreated wastewater discharge, agricultural runoff and industrial effluent, resulting in persistent and hazardous harmful algal blooms.

“Cyanobacteria now dominate the lake, releasing toxins that threaten public health, aquatic life and water treatment operations, with recent fish kills underscoring the urgency for action.”

LG Sonic’s interventions rely on ultrasound-based technology, which disrupts the buoyancy and growth cycle of harmful algae without the use of chemicals.

The system is complemented by real-time water quality monitoring, allowing authorities to track oxygen levels, nutrient loads and algal concentrations, while supporting the gradual recovery of aquatic biodiversity.

The technology, which has been deployed in more than 60 countries, is designed to restore natural ecological balance by limiting algae growth, improving water clarity and reducing toxins, while avoiding damage to fish, plants and other organisms.

“Government is considering a comprehensive five-year restoration programme anchored on chemical-free, nature-based technologies, real-time water quality monitoring and long-term ecosystem rehabilitation,” the ministry said.

The programme’s vision is to restore Lake Chivero into a safe, productive and climate-resilient water resource, supported by modern water management systems, institutional capacity building and strong governance frameworks.

Added the ministry: “With a total investment of €19.8 million, the project is fully financed, with 50 percent of the funding structured as a grant supported by the Dutch government through Invest International, significantly reducing fiscal risk while delivering high environmental and social returns.

“The engagement comes at an opportune time as Government advances plans to rehabilitate Lake Chivero and is considering Public-Private Partnerships as a key model to secure clean, potable water and safeguard Zimbabwe’s strategic water resources for current and future generations.”

Lake Chivero’s pollution has been driven primarily by the discharge of untreated sewage and wastewater, mainly from Harare City Council, along with effluent from surrounding urban and industrial zones.

The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) has repeatedly identified the City of Harare as the lake’s largest polluter, citing chronic failures in sewage treatment and industrial waste management.

The ecological damage reached a critical point in 2024, when four rhinos and several other animals died after drinking contaminated water from the lake, highlighting the severity of toxin accumulation and ecosystem collapse.

The pollution has also placed immense strain on Harare’s water treatment systems.

The city spends about US$3 million per month on water treatment chemicals, including sulphuric acid, chlorine gas, sodium silicate, activated carbon, aluminium sulphate, hydrated lime and high-test hypochlorite (HTH).

Only aluminium sulphate and chlorine gas are sourced locally, with the rest imported at a high cost.

The deteriorating quality of raw water has resulted in frequent water shortages, erratic supply and rising treatment costs.

In response, Government in 2023 appointed a technical committee to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to improve water availability and quality in Harare.

The committee was tasked with maintaining water production at around 520 megalitres per day, reducing non-revenue water from 59 percent to 55 percent, and expanding potable water coverage from 40 percent to 60 percent.

Non-revenue water refers to treated water that is lost through leaks, theft or inaccurate metering before it reaches consumers.

The water crisis has had serious public health implications. Harare Province has recorded two major cholera outbreaks in recent years, in 2019 and 2023, with the earlier outbreak claiming more than 50 lives.

The outbreaks were largely attributed to poor sanitation and prolonged shortages of clean water across many residential areas.