Water is increasingly scarce in southern Zimbabwe, posing a significant threat to people’s livelihoods and critical ecosystems. Severe environmental challenges, including deforestation, climate change and land degradation, are further compounding the problem, and contributing to chronic food shortages and widespread poverty, particularly amongst rural farming communities. In 2021 95% of households in Matabeleland South province (where the project will take place) received food assistance.

Two communities in southern Zimbabwe will construct a total of three sand dams, providing them with year-round access to clean water (a sand dam can store up to 40 million litres of water which meets WHO standards for drinking, trapping water at the point it falls). The communities will also be trained in environmental protection techniques, and will be supported to establish community-managed woodlots, helping to restore degraded land, enhance soil fertility and improve conditions for farming.