Zimbabwe

Coalition building

Zimbabwe has two main coordinating bodies, the National Action Committee (NAC) and the Water and Sanitation Group (WES). The NAC coordinates allocation of funding and resources and coordinates donors and NGOs. The WES is a more operational group, coordinated by UNICEF, with 55 members comprising government, NGOs and international organisations. Click here for a list of WES members and a description of the WES group Terms of Reference.

Activities, Achievements and Major Milestones

• An extensive Participatory Health and Hygiene Education (PHHE) programme has ensured a high level of WASH awareness among the Zimbabwean population. This includes high presence of hand washing habits, containment of diarrheal diseases, a high number of community initiatives (CBM), and high demand for services.
• Extensive lobbying at national level, led to the development of a National Water and Sanitation Policy, which is currently (July 2007) with cabinet awaiting approval. The policy document is an important milestone for the water sector in the country.
• Every year the country has put aside a week (in September) to commemorate sanitation, the objective of this event is to place the issue of sanitation high on the agenda. Currently (July 2007) preparations for the 2007 Sanitation Week are under way and various committees have been put in place to ensure the success of the event, which is also meant to carry forward the momentum into 2008 when there will be the official launch of the Zimbabwe sanitation year.
• High profile hygiene promotion, which is institutionalized, is being seen as the norm rather than the exception.
• Sector coordination has strengthened, with WASH group meetings occuring and members being updated regularly.  This group also monitors WASH related diseases and offers timely emergency interventions.

International Year of Sanitation 2008

• Sanitation Communiqué

• Final Report of the International Year of Sanitation Seminar, February 2008

• Third edition of the Institute of Water and Sanitation Development Newsletter, Water Voice, 2008: signing ceremony IYS Communiqué, water utilities capacity assessment in Zambia and Tanzania, SADC water dialogue, Bulawayo water shortage, and more.

• Fourth edition of the Institute of Water and Sanitation Development Newsletter, Water Voice, 2008: public health baseline survey, cholera knows no tradition, gender mainstreaming in IWRM, International Year of Sanitation, and more.

• Sanitation workshop for the media fraternity held at the Institute of Water and Sanitation Development, 2-3 September 2008: as agreed by the National Task Force on sanitation, the overall workshop objective was to create media awareness of sanitation and hygiene issues as they affect economic growth, social development, health and environmental integrity.

WATER, SANITATION & HYGIENE FAIR, 5 NOVEMBER 2008, HARARE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE

The Fair is aiming to highlight the key role of sanitation and hygiene issues in poverty eradication, combating disease, preserving human dignity and the overall development of Zimbabwe.

Please click here to download the announcement and call flyer. Please click here to download the programme as of 31 July 2008. Please not that the dates of the programme have been changed to 5 November 2008.