Command water harvesting gets nod
GOVERNMENT is set to construct weirs in all 10 provinces as part of its Command Rain Water Harvesting Programme aimed at harnessing water from floods and excessive rains.
Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said while the country laments losses recorded during flooding, the climate change variability has presented an opportunity for a paradigm shift in water resources planning, development and management programmes.
She was speaking at a public lecture held in commemoration of the 2017 World Water Day Celebrations by co-ordinator of the United Nations World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), Prof Stefan Uhlenbrook from Perugia, Italy, hosted by the University of Zimbabwe in partnership with UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa and her ministry.
“My ministry has, therefore, introduced the Command Rain Water Harvesting programme through the construction of weirs in all 10 provinces of the country, with specific emphasis in dry areas such as Matabeleland South and North, Masvingo and the south western parts of the country,” she said.
“Apart from harnessing water from the floods, one source of water that we critically need to focus on is grey water reuse if we are to mitigate against the effects of climate variability and climate change.
“In urban and rural Zimbabwe, wastewater management receives less attention and yet we can promote the recycling and reuse of grey water from our kitchens and bathrooms and black water from sewer effluent without causing harm to public health and the environment.”
She said a huge potential lies in the untapped wastewater resource to improve the country’s water security.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said she hoped the lecture would challenge those in the field of water resources management, to think outside the box in face of climate change and come up with innovative solutions to today’s challenges.
Prof Uhlenbrook’s lecture entitled, “Connecting the Dots through Water Management in Order to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” was held as a pre-event to the World Water Day Celebrations to be held in Durban, South Africa today.
The lecture focused on water management and how that can contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal Six on Water Sanitation.
Prof Uhlenbrook illustrated the inter-linkages of water with the other SDGs while key messages for policy makers were also discussed.
The WWAP of UNESCO seeks to equip water managers, policy and decision makers with knowledge, tools and skills that promote sustainable management of water resources at local, national, regional and global scales.