This presentation summarizes the experiences of UNICEF-supported urban water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program in Zimbabwe.

1. Experiences of Urban WASH
Programming in Zimbabwe
Presentation made at UNICEF ESAR WASHNet Meeting, 29 April to 04
May 2013, Zambia
by
Dr. Murtaza Malik
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Manager, UNICEF Zimbabwe

2. Outline
• UNICEF Involvement
• Overview of urban WASH interventions
• Challenges and measures to address them

3. Background
• Economic meltdown (2000 – onward): > hyper inflation in
2008
– Lack of investment in
O&M of WASH infrastructure
– Skills flight
– Capacity shortages in public
and private sector
->Severe decline in WASH services

4. The Situation

5. The Situation

6. The Situation

7. The Situation

8. UNICEF Involvement
1. 2008/09 Cholera outbreak
2. Urban driven
• 98,531 cases
• 4,300 deaths
3. UNICEF involvement in urban WASH:
• Initial involvement as a provider of last resort
• Emergency response – 2008/09
• Emergency Rehabilitation and Cholera Risk Reduction – 2009/2013 -
US$ 40 m
• Recovery phase – Small Towns WASH Programe -2013/15 – US$ 30
m – 14 towns
• Donors: AusAid, DfID, ECHO, UNOCHA, Korea

9. Implementation
1. Government
• Ministries of Water/Local Government, ZINWA, local authorities
2. NGOs – initially hardware and software, subsequently
software
3. Consulting firms – design, tenders, quality assurance
4. Contractors – hardware
5. Dedicated urban WASH team

10. Urban WASH Interventions
1. Water treatment chemicals – almost all urban centers > 4 million
beneficiaries (2009-12)
2. Borehole drilling (2009/2012)

11. Urban WASH Interventions
3. Rapid assessments to identify quick-win interventions
4. Quick-win hardware interventions to rehabilitate water and sewage
infrastructure (increase operational capacity and reliability) - > 1.5
million beneficiaries.
Before
3. Befi
(Before
Raw water pumping station in Shurugwi Town - before (left) and after (right)

12. Urban WASH Interventions
4. Quick-win hardware interventions to rehabilitate water and sewage
infrastructure
Chemical dosing station - before (left) and after (right)

13. Urban WASH Interventions
4. Quick-win hardware interventions to rehabilitate water and sewage
infrastructure
Filter units at water treatment plant in Chipinge - before (left) and after (right)

14. Urban WASH Interventions
5. Sector coordination
6. Capacity building for O&M
7. Software interventions - hygiene promotion, cost recovery, customer
care and citizen’s participation
8. Emergency preparedness and response
9. Strategic planning
10. Support for strengthening WASH policy and regulatory framework

15. Challenges and the Corresponding
Measures to address them
• Funding gaps – prioritization / phased approach/quick-wins
• Need to fast-track rehab works – direct procurement of low-
cost/high impact equipment (sewer rods, chlorinators, lab
equipment), engagement of NGOs and contractors for
rehab works
• Procurement – close coordination with supply section,
prioritization of supplies with long lead time

16. Challenges and the Corresponding
Measures to address them
• Contracting
– Building internal capacities
– Contractual guidelines for rehab works (electrical and mechanical
works) – FIDIC / World Bank
– Process delays – engagement of senior management
– Limited local capacities – building the capacities of local contractors
– Unpredictability of nature and scope of rehab works – provision of
adequate contingency sums in the BoQs

17. Challenges and the Corresponding
Measures to address them
• Exit from support for water treatment chemicals – responsible
phase-out through development of a phase-out strategy
• Cost recovery / sustainability – follow up programmes
• Borehole drilling in urban areas – capacity building of urban councils
in O&M
• Emergency response- stand-by PCAs/contracts, pre-positioning of
NFIs
• Power supply – advocacy for dedicated power lines for water
treatment plants/ PPP
• Complex operating environment – putting in place robust M&E
systems

18. References
• Clarissa Brocklehurst, Murtaza Malik, Kiwe Sebunya and
Peter Salama (2013), ‘Engineering in the time of cholera:
overcoming institutional and political challenges to
rebuild Zimbabwe's water and sanitation infrastructure in
the aftermath of the 2008 cholera epidemic’, Journal of
Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 3 (2),
available at
http://washdev.iwaponline.com/content/3/2/222.