Online Reporter
Business Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has intensified its water harvesting and infrastructural development initiatives to mitigate the impact of a potential El Niño-induced drought, urging stakeholders to prioritise water security across all sectors of the economy.
Addressing delegates at the Zimbabwe 2026/27 Agricultural Season – A Whole-of-Value-Chain Preparedness Summit held at the Harare Show Grounds yesterday, ZINWA’s Hydrological Services Manager, Nyashadzashe Viriri, said capturing excess water during favourable years was critical to cushioning the country against poor seasons.
“The essence of the construction of these schemes is to capture water during the years when we have excess, and in years that would otherwise be very poor seasons,” he said. “Due to the development which we have been doing as a country, and from the water resources which we now have, the water levels are actually high, so it will go a long way in mitigating against the expected El Niño system.”
As part of its drought mitigation measures, Mr Viriri revealed that ZINWA has drilled over 6,000 boreholes under the Presidential Rural Development Programme. These efforts, he said, are primarily targeting dry areas to provide water for domestic and livestock use.
The authority is also looking to expand irrigation, with a target on underutilised dams. “We have identified about 18 000 hectares,” he said, adding that large dams have the capacity to store excess water for use during crises.
To manage scarce water resources, Mr Viriri said users would be registered, while the authority would embark on rehabilitating community boreholes and water points.
Providing an update on major capital projects, Mr Viriri announced that the Gwayi-Shangani project is now almost 82 percent complete, while the Kunzvi Dam project stands at 76 percent completion.
He emphasised that addressing water-related issues was a government mandate that cuts across all sectors of the economy. “We need water for domestic needs, for education, and for all sectors of the economy,” he said.
The summit, organised by Zimpapers and sponsered by SeedCo, Zimplow, Zinwa and Zimnat, was held under the theme: “Planning, Preparing and Protecting Zimbabwe’s 2026/27 Agricultural Season.” It brought together input suppliers, insurers, farmers, extension officers, traders, policymakers, and development partners to deliberate on value-chain preparedness ahead of the cropping season.
