Online Reporter
Judith Phiri [email protected]
AS part of the International Water Association (IWA)’s mission to empower young water professionals to contribute to sustainable water management, a new IWA Young Water Professionals (IWA YWP) chapter has been established in Zimbabwe.
The IWA YWP chapter will be the country’s go-to network, boosting connections for YWPs and providing a platform to support equal opportunities and quality career development.
IWA is the leading network and global knowledge hub for water professionals, and anyone committed to the future of water. As a non-profit organisation, it has a legacy of more than 70 years.
It connects water professionals in more than 140 countries to find solutions to global water challenges as part of a broader sustainability agenda, while also connecting scientists with professionals and communities so that pioneering research provides sustainable solutions.
In an interview, IWA YWP Chapter in Zimbabwe chairperson, Engineer Courage Nyoni, said the chapter was established to address some of the challenges affecting the country’s water sector.
“Zimbabwe’s water sector is under immense pressure from climate change, ageing infrastructure and a growing population, with a projected 38 percent decline in water availability per person by 2050, and a history of severe waterborne disease outbreaks.
“A critical ‘human capital’ gap exists: while technical expertise is present, young professionals lack platforms for mentorship, cross-sector collaboration and leadership development,” he said.
“The IWA YWP chapter was established to address these local realities by breaking down silos between universities, private companies, service providers and government agencies, building interdisciplinary skills to manage Zimbabwe’s seven distinct catchments.”
He said they would also be driving evidence-based solutions to tackle national challenges like drought resilience, untreated sewage pollution and the stark gap in safe water access between urban and rural areas.
Eng Nyoni said as a voluntary network, the Zimbabwe YWP Chapter was open to all water professionals aged 35 or below who are enthusiastic, dedicated and passionate about water-related issues.
He said the IWA YWP Zimbabwe Chapter would empower young water professionals to support Zimbabwe’s national water agenda by acting as a foundational workforce engine to achieve the UN SDG 6 targets locally.
“The chapter will provide a platform that engineers, planners and policymakers need to design equitable infrastructure, empowering YWPs to tackle industrial discharge and untreated sewage to prevent disease outbreaks.
“By providing structured leadership development, facilitating cross-sector collaboration and integrating local talent into the global IWA network, the chapter will help train professionals in water quality and sanitation to safeguard public health, foster innovation in water efficiency for economic growth, and champion applied research in climate adaptation,” he added.
Eng Nyoni said the goal of the Chapter was to support, connect and empower young water professionals in Zimbabwe by providing a nationally coordinated platform for professional development, collaboration and engagement.
He said their primary goal for Year 1 was to focus on “Foundation, Value, and Visibility”.
“Key objectives include building a national platform for networking, strengthening capacity through technical workshops, promoting youth leadership in the water sector, and facilitating career development through formal mentorship.”
Eng Nyoni said planned activities include hosting technical webinars and skill-shares on topics like geographic information system (GIS) and water quality, running weekly “Water Wednesday” posts, partnering with universities for roadshows, organising in-person field trips to water treatment plants and hosting an annual YWP Symposium.
The founding committee of the IWA YWP Zimbabwe Chapter includes Eng Nyoni as chairperson, Tanaka Katanda as vice chairperson, Eshworth Wanguwa as secretary and Tinashe Edward Justice Shumba as treasurer.
Other members include Rutendo Zishiri as industry and academic liaison, Sambulisiwe Maseko as events and projects coordinator, Tracy Ratidzaishe Mupinga-Myeza as advisory member and Tavonga Takawira as research, innovation, knowledge and communication coordinator.
