The Water Crisis: A National Disaster

Community Water Alliance agrees with City of Harare Environment Committee to declare potable water provision a national disaster.

At a Metropolitan Water Conference jointly held with City of Harare last year 2018 in November, one of the resolutions was to declare access to water a national disaster. CWA appearance before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water in February 2019 echoed the same. This resolution was inspired by reading of both contextual factors and the ravaging effects of a drought.

Several complimentary interventions are required to provide a solution to the problem. Not one solution will solve everything but the following interventions shall be critical drivers to address the emergency:

Wetlands preservation as a strategy to deal with river recharge and drought mitigation strategy. The emergency declared requires actions demonstrating thus on each intervention.

Temporary mobile water treatment plants drawing water from aquifers surrounding Harare. This should be viewed as a short term temporary measure to deal with the crisis.

Collaborative stakeholders efforts. The situation at the moment will force residents to resort to alternative water sources. A chain of interventions by different actors will help stop the crisis into a health disaster. State and non-state actors should have all their hands on deck.

Investment in other water reservoirs are a priority for Harare Metropolitan Province. Musami, Muda and Kunzvi dams. Central government should act decisively.

Hon Mthuli Ncube’s national purse should demonstrate will to address the challenge through meaningful resource allocation to water delivery.

In the context of this emergency a moratorium on water disconnections should be declared. It will be double standards to witness a declaration of disaster with arbitrary water disconnections continuing to be order of the day.

Source: Community Water Alliance

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