Integrating Community-Led Interventions for Enhanced Water Access through the Watershed Management Approach in Mudzi Rural District, Zimbabwe

The world continues to grapple with many challenges, including the pace of global development through urbanization and other complex problems brought on by the convergence of global threats such as climate change and pandemics. The connections between poverty, scarcity of water and health are becoming more complex, making solutions to these concerns critically important. Water related issues unquestionably have a negative impact on health, which leads to higher levels of poverty in disadvantaged and vulnerable countries, communities, and households. Poverty, water shortage and health continue to plague many communities worldwide, thus community driven efforts to improve water access are indispensable. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, water scarcity and health burdens have gotten worse in developing countries. Once more, as more countries strive to navigate through many challenges including climate change; issues of poverty, water scarcity and health burdens only get worse. The lack of infrastructural development in many African countries has resulted in disproportionate increases in the demand for water resources and healthcare services in many vulnerable communities such as rural communities. On the other hand, the ability of communities to get sustainable yields of surface and sub-surface water has been disrupted by climate change, making it more difficult for them to address the connection between poverty, water scarcity and health challenges. This paper, arising from the above intricacies has found that supporting community driven strategies for improving rural population’s access to water by adapting the Watershed Management disposition is critical, as this provides several solutions. This paper examined literature on the Watershed Management Theory and evaluated its relevance to customized community strategies for improved water access through a case study of Zimbabwe’s Mudzi rural district’s productive assets strategy. The evaluation showed immense water and other benefits to rural communities from Watershed Management Approach-based Community-Led Interventions. Data for this paper was collected as part of the author’s PhD studies in Mudzi district through participation of diverse study participants (including key stakeholders) in Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews. Further data was obtained from Literature Review and Field Observations of water assets and as well as majorly qualitative questionnaires.