Online Reporter
Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT has called for urgent coordinated action to safeguard water resources and ecosystems amid growing concerns over global water stress as stakeholders convened for the Zimbabwe Water Dialogue Annual Conference in the capital last Friday.
The high-level indaba, held at Mukuvisi Woodlands, brought together Government, development partners, academia, civil society and community representatives to commemorate the International Day of Forests, World Water Day and World Meteorological Day under a unified platform.
Running under the theme “Sustaining Economies, Advancing Equality, and Protecting the Future through Forests, Water and Weather,” the conference focused on integrated solutions to water governance, climate resilience and environmental protection.
Officials said the triple commemoration highlighted the intrinsic link between forests, water and weather systems, which are central to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic development.
A senior official from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development said Government was scaling up programmes aimed at ensuring universal access to water while promoting rural economic empowerment.
“Water is not only a constitutional right but also an economic enabler. Through initiatives such as the Presidential Rural Development Programme, we are ensuring that every village, school and institution has access to safe water while unlocking income-generating opportunities for communities,” the official said.
He added that integrated water resource management structures, including catchment and sub-catchment councils, were being strengthened to enhance community participation in decision-making.
Director-General of water resources in the ministry, Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu, warned of mounting threats to Zimbabwe’s wetlands and water systems, describing the situation as a crisis requiring immediate intervention.
“The declaration of 2026 as a year of global water bankruptcy signals the severity of the challenge we face. We are depleting groundwater faster than it can replenish and destroying wetlands at an alarming rate. This calls for decisive action, not just dialogue,” he said.
Eng Mutazu urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions and implement concrete action plans to protect wetlands, curb pollution and enhance water security.
Meteorological experts also raised concern over increasing climate variability, which is placing additional strain on water resources and agricultural systems.
Director of the Meteorological Services Department, Mrs Rebecca Manzou, said Zimbabwe was experiencing shorter and more erratic rainfall seasons, with prolonged dry spells and extreme weather events becoming more frequent.
