Are ‘second generation’ water regulators the catalyst for sustainable water outcomes and an integrated water sector in sub-Saharan Africa? Insights from Zimbabwe

Abstract

In 1998 Zimbabwe became one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to adopt and implement IWRM. Twenty-five years later, IWRM principles are yet to be fully operationalised. More importantly, the principle of separating operational and regulatory aspects of water management is becoming more blurred due in part to a water development agenda that is eclipsing water management instead of being in tandem with it. This paper interrogates the merits of establishing a regulator in Zimbabwe's water sector, the only major sector that operates without a regulator, as a catalyst for a better-coordinated and integrated water sector, and an anchor for sustainable water resource management and water supply outcomes. The paper argues for a ‘second generation’ regulator that covers the entire water value chain in line with SDG 6, as opposed to a ‘first generation’ regulator, which exclusively focuses on water supply and sanitation. To enhance prospects for sustainability of the regulator, critical success factors, namely mandate, institutional form, financing model and reporting mechanisms should clearly be defined. The insights from Zimbabwe are relevant for other sub-Saharan African countries, which aim to increase prospects for achieving SDG 6 targets.