mbulelo smpofu
Judith Phiri, Features Reporter
The curtain came down recently on the National Insurance Strategy for Rural Water Infrastructure validation workshop in Bulawayo, which sought to discuss a new insurance strategy aimed at improving community-based management of rural water systems.
Once implemented, the National Insurance Strategy for Rural Water Infrastructure is expected to improve rural livelihoods through sustainable water access for domestic and irrigation purposes.
It will also help communities quickly recover if disasters related to climate change damage water infrastructure in rural areas, such as irrigation systems and boreholes. With 70 percent of Zimbabwe’s population residing in rural areas, the strategy is set to provide critical guidance on managing water supply systems against unforeseen events.
The workshop reviewed and validated the proposed strategy as a potential national standard for insuring piped water schemes. Rural water infrastructure is said to be a vital component of improving the lives of people in rural areas and can help reduce water-borne and skin diseases, while also aiding them to develop agricultural projects for their livelihoods.
During the validation workshop, rural communities highlighted why it is important for the strategy to be set up as a giant step towards creating a more resilient and sustainable future for rural water infrastructure.
In an interview, on the sidelines of the workshop, Ms Peggy Sibindi from Amazon A in Ward 16 of Insiza District, Matabeleland South Province, said their piped water scheme is a source of livelihood.
“In Amazon A, we have a solar-powered water scheme where communities get water. The population that gets water from the scheme is over 160 people. The Government assisted us by putting a solar system and as women, we are getting water closer to us and are able to cultivate gardens. We are now similar to women in urban areas such as Bulawayo in terms of water being close by; we no longer have to travel long distances just to fetch water,” she said.
Ms Sibindi said development of the National Insurance Strategy for Rural Water Infrastructure is critical for them to continue getting water from nearby sources.
She said insurance is important as disasters related to climate change that can affect their piped water scheme can be quickly attended to.
“As it is, the challenge we are faced with is, when the weather is cold and cloudy with no sun; we get limited water during the day. We are in need of additional solar panels and a battery to ensure we have less interruptions to our pumping of water. Once these are in place, insurance becomes very critical for our water infrastructure,” added Ms Sibindi.
Mr Wilson Mujere of Chivi District in Masvingo Province echoed Ms Sibindi’s sentiments, reiterating that with insurance, piped water schemes or irrigation schemes could easily recover after a disaster.
“The Government developed Nyahombe Irrigation Scheme (80 hectares) in Chivi District. People are benefitting from the scheme and we usually grow wheat in winter and maize in summer.
“We supplied over 60 tonnes of wheat to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) for this year’s winter season. Insurance is important for irrigation schemes especially considering one such as ours that was done at an estimated cost of US$1 million,” he said.
“If pumps are stolen or destroyed by disasters, they would need to be replaced, so this is where insurance will come in. When we come across any problem that can affect our operations, with insurance we will be able to bounce back easily with the lives of those dependent on the scheme not greatly affected.”
The validation workshop was attended by delegates from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zimbabwe, representatives from different rural district councils across the country, other Government Ministries and Departments, banks and insurance sector players as well as other key stakeholders.
Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Director in charge of Irrigation Development, Dr Bezzel Chitsungo, said the strategy was motivated by the need for the nation to prepare itself in the context of climate change where infrastructure has been affected due to extreme weather events.
He said extreme weather events have vandalised critical infrastructure, which has seen rural communities losing their source of livelihood.
“We need to come together as a community to sharpen ourselves alongside colleagues from the insurance sector to look at other interventions besides those that the Government has employed towards ensuring sustainable operations and maintenance of these schemes,” said Dr Chitsungo.
He said Cyclone Idai was one of the disasters, which saw the destruction of infrastructure, taking the Government and development partners more than a year to restore critical facilities such as irrigation and water supply.
Dr Chitsungo said up to now, there were still some areas they were still working on to restore normalcy after Cyclone Idai.
He said insurance would go a long way if another shock of that nature occurred. Working with UNDP Zimbabwe, the Ministry is implementing the Climate Adaptation and Energy Programme (Cawep) in four districts to establish climate-smart water infrastructure.
The programme will see the establishment of irrigation facilities and solar-powered boreholes in Binga, Insiza and Chivi. Cawep project manager, Dr Solomon Mutambara said Cawep is a five-year project funded by the British Embassy to the tune of 13,6 million pounds.
He said the goal is to help the insurance industry come up with tailor-made packages for communities to ensure that they have a strategy that will guarantee that the rural water infrastructure can be sustainable.
“We are challenging all the players within the sector to ensure that the communities and farmers can bounce back better after a disaster happens,” said Dr Mutambara.
He said where a community is covered by insurance, recovery becomes faster and that will not affect their water supply and production cycle if it is an irrigation scheme. Dr Mutambara said Cawep is in the process of developing a 50-hectare irrigation scheme in Chivi, a 30-hecare irrigation scheme in Wanezi in Insiza and has already completed a 20-hectare scheme in Binga.
He said after the completion of the projects, insurance companies would be invited to come up with insurance products that will help in climate-proofing the schemes by covering them with a tailor-made product. UNDP Zimbabwe Team Leader at Nature Climate Energy, Ms Constance Pepukai said they were committed to working with the Government in the development of the national strategy, an initiative that will not only safeguard critical water infrastructure but also empower rural communities.
“This will empower rural communities by providing them with the financial resources to recover from disasters and invest in their own development. By reducing vulnerability and fostering resilience, we are contributing to the overall economic growth and social well-being of the nation,” she said.
“It will create a more resilient water sector, capable of withstanding the challenges posed by climate change and other shocks. By empowering communities to manage their water resources effectively, we can contribute to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.”
Director for the Department of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) Co-ordination in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Mr Nesbert Shirihuru said four models had been developed for the insurance strategy, which is critical to protecting vital rural water systems.
He said the first model was of Government creating a captive fund at the national level, where communities contribute to it and the second one was for the RDCs and Government partnering to lead the process in line with devolution, as the RDCs will be the service authority.
Mr Shirihuru said the third model was a market-based approach, where the insurance sector, through the rural district councils, can mobilise and take care of the community’s demand, while the last one was establishment of an organised private sector insurance that has eyes on insuring the piped water schemes.
“After formulating the draft strategy, we will present it to the National Action Committee (NAC) on Water and Sanitation for adoption through the relevant subcommittees where the Department of Irrigation is also represented as their Ministry chairs the subcommittee,” he said. Mr Shirihuru said once the strategy has been adopted by the NAC, they would pilot the four models at selected districts with the RDCs at the forefront.
The insurance strategy is expected to provide guidance to rural water users and policy makers to acquire and manage rural water supply infrastructure insurance policies.
It will also provide guidelines to mitigate financial risks associated with repair, replacement, or upgrade of water infrastructure, while insurance enables a financial safety net as well as facilitate quick recovery and repair of damaged infrastructure.
The strategy is also expected to promote investment in resilient infrastructure by reducing financial risks for stakeholders in the country.
