Tapiwanashe Mangwiro

Zimbabwe is turning to its existing dams as a major source of new agricultural production, with authorities seeking to unlock underutilised water infrastructure and accelerate irrigation development as part of efforts to strengthen food security and climate resilience.

The strategy is anchored on a new approach that treats dams as broader economic assets rather than stand-alone water projects, the National Agriculture Conference and Expo 2026 heard.

Speaking during the discussions at the Conference, ZINWA Water Supply Services Manager Stanley Nazombe said the country had historically developed dams without simultaneously putting in place all the infrastructure required to derive maximum economic value from them.

He said this had resulted in some dams being completed while irrigation, water supply and other complementary facilities were developed separately or delayed.

“There was a mismatch that would happen between other activities that would also accompany the dam construction,” Nazombe said.

The new approach seeks to eliminate that fragmentation by ensuring that the development of a dam is linked to the economic activities that depend on it.

“As government now, there’s been a shift where now the dam is being taken as a component that enables other components to happen,” he said.

Under the model, a completed dam would be linked to water supply, irrigation, fisheries and, where feasible, hydropower generation.

“There are five components within the dam as an economy that we have. These are dams, the water supply, the irrigation facility, fisheries and the hydropower project,” Nazombe said.

The approach comes as government seeks to rapidly expand irrigation capacity and make agriculture less dependent on rainfall.

According to Nazombe, significant potential exists within existing dams, allowing the country to expand irrigation without relying exclusively on new dam construction.

He said the immediate focus would be on existing infrastructure with capacity to support additional irrigation.

“There is a significant number of dams that have been lying underutilised,” he said.

The strategy is particularly important given the impact of drought on agricultural production. Expanding irrigation would allow farmers to maintain production even when rainfall patterns become unreliable.

Nazombe said the wider objective was to ensure that water infrastructure also responded to the challenges posed by climate change.

The government’s irrigation ambitions, however, will require substantial capital beyond the resources available from Treasury.

Asked whether the accelerated programme would be financed directly by government, Nazombe said private investment would be essential.

“That will certainly not be achieved through government on its own,” he said.

“It allows other players also to come into play and allow for partnership with government so that we are able to ensure that it is achieved.”

The call for private-sector participation comes as Zimbabwe seeks to attract investment into infrastructure that can generate returns through agriculture, water supply, fisheries and energy.

Participants at the conference nevertheless raised concerns over the clarity of public-private partnership arrangements, particularly where private investors develop infrastructure that is eventually expected to be transferred to Government.

A clearer investment framework would be important for providing investors with certainty over how projects are managed and how ownership arrangements are handled.

For farmers, the development of irrigation infrastructure would provide greater certainty over production and reduce exposure to drought-related losses.

For government, the approach could allow existing public infrastructure to generate greater economic value.

Nazombe said increased investment was necessary to strengthen the country’s water security.

“We need to put more investment in that light so that our level of security is increased from what it currently is,” he said.

The strategy therefore shifts the focus from simply constructing more dams to maximising the productive potential of water infrastructure already available while ensuring new projects are designed as integrated economic systems.