Masuka commissions Wanezi Dam project to strengthen Insiza climate resilience

Masuka commissions Wanezi Dam project to strengthen Insiza climate resilience

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The Government of Zimbabwe, working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has commissioned the Wanezi Dam, Irrigation Scheme and Piped Water System in Insiza District, in a project aimed at improving climate resilience, water security and rural livelihoods.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka, said the development supports President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stated vision of turning dams into economic hubs that can help transform rural communities.

The dam was rebuilt after it was breached during Cyclone Dineo in 2017. According to the information provided, the rehabilitated dam now stores 1.7 million cubic metres of water.

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The project is reported to support a 30-hectare irrigation scheme, fisheries, solar-powered piped water systems and a clean water supply for more than 700 households.

Dr Masuka said water remains central to rural transformation and the adoption of climate-smart agriculture. The irrigation scheme is projected to generate more than US$200,000 annually, while contributing to Zimbabwe’s national target of developing 496,000 hectares under irrigation by 2030, the minister said.

The commissioning comes as communities across the country increasingly look to water harvesting, irrigation development and reliable domestic water supply systems as part of Zimbabwe’s wider response to climate variability and recurring droughts.

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