Peace resourcing with water access and development in rural Zimbabwe

Abstract

Peace and development hang on resources for personal and collective sustenance. This study sought to establish the relative influence of the water access policy on peace, development and livelihood sustenance in rural communities. The study was situated in Mhondoro- Ngezi, rural Zimbabwe. With the aid of the phenomenology research design, a thematic analysis of data from semi-structured interviews and observations was undertaken. The policy implementation theoretical framework was used to contextualise water policies in development and community livelihood sustenance. The results revealed neglect by policy makers to implement water access and development instruments. Although community people said they used informal practices to access water, it was not sufficient for their production needs. Findings suggest that water access policies, if implemented collaboratively with the community, are instruments for community peace.