Towards Empowered Stakeholder Participation in Water Resource Management in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper considers why stakeholder institutions mandated to manage water resources in Zimbabwe in a participatory manner, have failed to perform according to expectations. A central argument of the paper is that this failure is because of the absence of a clear development agenda, which can facilitate effective participation by the disadvantaged black population. This scenario cannot be achieved by merely changing the water legislation. The paper cautions that any new attempt to design an appropriate institutional model to enhance stakeholder participation, as happened in the Limpopo river basin in south west Zimbabwe, runs the risk of failure, unless fundamental empowerment issues are clearly appreciated and judiciously addressed.