Explore the vast range of titles available.

The discourse on the need for water, energy, and food security has dominated the development agenda of southern African countries, centred on improving livelihoods, building resilience, and regional integration. About 60% of the population in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) live in rural areas relying mainly on rainfed agriculture, lacking access to clean water and energy, yet the region is endowed with vast natural resources. The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is a conceptual framework that presents opportunities for greater resource coordination, management, and policy convergence across sectors. This is particularly relevant in the SADC region as resources are transboundary and supports efforts linked to regional integration and inclusive socio-economic development and security. We conducted an appraisal of WEF-related policies and institutions in SADC and identified linkages among them. The present ‘silo’ approach in resource management and allocation, often conducted at the national level, contributes to the region’s failure to meet its development targets, exacerbating its vulnerabilities. The lack of coordination of WEF nexus synergies and trade-offs in planning often threatens the sustainability of development initiatives. We highlighted the importance of the WEF nexus to sustainably address the sectoral coordination of resources through harmonised institutions and policies, as well as setting targets and indicators to direct and monitor nexus developments. We illustrate the significance of the nexus in promoting inclusive development and transforming vulnerable communities into resilient societies. The study recommends a set of integrated assessment models to monitor and evaluate the implementation of WEF nexus targets. Going forward, we propose the adoption of a regional WEF nexus framework.

At the beginning of human history, surface water, especially from rivers and springs, was the most frequent water supply source. Groundwater was used in arid and semi-arid regions, e.g., eastern Crete (Greece). As the population increased, periodic water shortages occurred, which led to the development of sophisticated hydraulic structures for water transfer and for the collection and storage of rainwater, as seen, for example, in Early Minoan times (ca 3200–2100 BC). Water supply and urban planning had always been essentially related: the urban water supply systems that existed in Greece since the Bronze Age (ca 3200–1100 BC) were notably advanced, well organized, and operable. Water supply systems evolved considerably during the Classical and Hellenistic periods (ca 480–31 BC) and during the Roman period (ca 31 BC–480 AD). Also, early Indian society was an amazing vanguard of technology, planning, and vision, which significantly impacted India’s architectural and cultural heritage, thus laying the foundation for sustainable urban living and water resource management. In ancient Egypt, the main source of freshwater was the Nile River; Nile water was conveyed by open and closed canals to supply water to cities, temples, and fields. Underground stone-built aqueducts supplied Nile water to so-called Nile chambers in temples. The evolution of water supply and urban planning approaches from ancient simple systems to complex modern networks demonstrates the ingenuity and resilience of human communities. Many lessons can be learned from studying traditional water supply systems, which could be re-considered for today’s urban sustainable development. By digging into history, measures for overcoming modern problems can be found. Rainwater harvesting, establishing settlements in proximity of water sources to facilitate access to water, planning, and adequate drainage facilities were the characteristics of ancient civilizations since the ancient Egyptian, Minoan, Mohenjo-Daro, Mesopotamian, and Roman eras, which can still be adopted for sustainability. This paper presents significant lessons on water supply around the world from ancient times to the present. This diachronic survey attempts to provide hydro-technology governance for the present and future.

The Nyamandhlovu aquifer is the main water resource in the semi-arid Umguza district in Matebeleland North Province in Zimbabwe. The rapid increase in water demand in the city of Bulawayo has prompted the need to quantify the available groundwater resources for sustainable utilization. Groundwater recharge estimation methods and results were compared: chloride mass balance method (19–62 mm/year); water-table fluctuation method (2–50 mm/year); Darcian flownet computations (16–28 mm/year); 14 C age dating (22–25 mm/year); and groundwater modeling (11–26 mm/year). The flownet computational and modeling methods provided better estimates for aerial recharge than the other methods. Based on groundwater modeling, a final estimate for recharge (from precipitation) on the order of 15–20 mm/year is believed to be realistic, assuming that part of the recharge water transpires from the water table by deep-rooted vegetation. This recharge estimate (2.7–3.6% of the annual precipitation of 555 mm/year) compares well with the results of other researchers. The advantages/disadvantages of each recharge method in terms of ease of application, accuracy, and costs are discussed. The groundwater model was also used to quantify the total recharge of the Nyamandhlovu aquifer system (20 × 10 6 –25 × 10 6 m 3 /year). Groundwater abstractions exceeding 17 × 10 6 m 3 /year could cause ecological damage, affecting, for instance, the deep-rooted vegetation in the area.

The main objective of the study was to delineate Ground Water Potential Zones (GWPZ) in Mberengwa and Zvishavane districts, Zimbabwe, utilizing geospatial technologies and thematic mapping. Various factors, including geology, soil, rainfall, land use/land cover, drainage density, lineament density, slope, Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI), and Terrain Wetness Index (TWI), were incorporated as thematic layers. The Multi Influencing Factor (MIF) and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) techniques were employed to assign appropriate weights to these layers based on their relative significance, prioritizing GWPZ mapping. The integration of these weighted layers resulted in the generation of five GWPZ classes: Very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. The MIF method identified 3% of the area as having very high GWPZ, 19% as having high GWPZ, 40% as having moderate GWPZ, 24% as having low GWPZ, and 14% as having very low GWPZ. The AHP method yielded 2% for very high GWPZ, 14% for high GWPZ, 37% for moderate GWPZ, 37% for low GWPZ, and 10% for very low GWPZ. A strong correlation (ρ of 0.91) was observed between the MIF results and groundwater yield. The study successfully identified regions with abundant groundwater, providing valuable target areas for groundwater exploitation and high-volume water harvesting initiatives. Accurate identification of these crucial regions is essential for effective decision-making, planning, and management of groundwater resources to alleviate water shortages.

Comprehensively understanding water consumption behavior is necessary to design efficient and effective water use strategies. Despite global efforts to identify the factors that affect domestic water consumption, those related to domestic water use in rural regions have not been sufficiently studied, particularly in villages that have gained access to improved water supply. To address this gap, we investigated 247 households in eight villages in the Wei River Basin where three types of improved water supply systems are implemented. Results show that domestic water consumption in liters per capita per day was significantly correlated with water supply pattern and vegetable garden area, and significantly negatively correlated with family size and age of household head. Traditional hygiene habits, use of water appliances, and preference for vegetable gardening remain dominant behaviors in the villages with access to improved water supply. Future studies on rural domestic water consumption should pay more attention to user lifestyles (water appliance usage habits, outdoor water use) and cultural backgrounds (age, education).

This study critically discusses historical developments in wetland management legislation through the twentieth century up to present in Zimbabwe, and how the legislative and management frameworks of different time periods have influenced wetland management strategies, including the needs and involvement of local wetland users. This analysis shows that in the twentieth century colonial era (up to 1980), laws prohibited the use of wetlands for some purposes and that local communities were largely excluded from using wetland resources. After independence in 1980, laws inherited from the colonial era were still applied despite the changed political and social situation, and this resulted in tensions between different wetland users. Since 2002, the Environmental Management Agency in Zimbabwe has regulated wetland use through licensing of wetland resource exploitation and through training of wetland users. However, this has not been effective and wetlands throughout the country have continued to be exploited for agriculture and by encroachment of urban infrastructure. There are also wider national-level tensions between the need for sustainable wetland management and conservation, and political imperatives for economic development by exploiting wetland resources. Balancing these issues underlies the challenges for wetland management in Zimbabwe and other developing countries. Based on this analysis, key recommendations are made regarding the need for closing legislative gaps in wetland management, inventorising and monitoring wetland properties, and engaging fully with community stakeholders.

'Modernisation' was one of the most pervasive ideologies of the twentieth century. Focusing on a case study of the Kariba Dam in central-southern Africa and based on an array of primary sources and interviews the book provides a nuanced understanding of development in the turbulent late 1950s, a time when most colonies moved towards independence.

Wetlands are some of the most productive natural ecosystems in Zimbabwe as they provide a wide range of goods and services. The article examines spatial and temporal changes in wetland utilization patterns as well as threats to these fragile ecosystems and proffers suggestions to achieve sustainable use of wetlands. Literature on wetland use shows that cultivation (73%) and livestock grazing (36%) are the dominant wetland use activities in Zimbabwe. Combined with urban housing development, these land uses are the biggest contributors to wetland degradation and loss. About 57% and 27% of wetlands are in the moderately and severely degraded categories respectively. However, the effect of land uses, especially cultivation, on wetland ecology, is heterogeneous. Livestock grazing changes vegetation structure and composition and, ultimately, disturbs the wetland’s hydrology. Settlement establishment results in the disappearance of the wetland ecosystem. Considering that the two dominant land uses, cultivation and livestock grazing, are cornerstones of rural economies, there is need for further research to understand spatial variations on the impacts of similar land uses on different wetland types in different geographical settings. Therefore, further research should be done to understand the sustainability of human land uses on different wetland types, depending on their hydrogeomorphic characteristics, in order to continually promote sustainable development of the dependent societies.

There are challenges regarding the operation and maintenance (O&M) of water supply infrastructure in developing countries which lead to poor services. This study assessed O&M arrangements and how they are linked to the functionality of key water infrastructure and the status of WSS in eleven urban local authorities in Zimbabwe. The studied parameters included the overall O&M arrangements, functionality of key water infrastructure and status of WSS. Data collection was conducted through a structured questionnaire administered to key personnel of the study councils and supplemented by documentation review. Data analysis was conducted through narrative and quantitative content analysis and statistical tools (cross-tabulation and the coefficient of variation, where applicable). It was established that the overall rating for O&M arrangements, functionality of key water infrastructure, and status of WSS were mostly fair, very poor, and poor, respectively. Based on a Chi-squared test and differences in the overall ratings of main parameters studied, there was no close association between the O&M arrangements studied and functionality of selected key infrastructure ( p  > 0.05), between the O&M arrangements and status of WSS ( p  > 0.05), and between the functionality of key infrastructure and status of WSS ( p  > 0.05). This suggests that other factors including very aged infrastructure, efficiency of execution of the O&M arrangements, national macro-economic environment, and level of funding possibly affected the status of WSS significantly. Further research including other factors mentioned above and covering more local authorities to improve statistical analysis is required.