Zimbabwe case study

Recurring drought

Zimbabwe faces severe and recurring drought due to climate variability (guide: "severe and recurring water insecurity driven by drought").

Long dry season

The country experiences a long dry season with an increasingly unreliable rainy season.

Women & girls burden

Women and girls spend hours per day collecting water, reducing education and economic participation (guide: "reduces their time for education and economic activity").

Infrastructure failure

Poor infrastructure means many communities lack reliable access to safe water (guide: "poor infrastructure… severe water insecurity").

Economic collapse impact

Economic collapse has reduced investment in water systems, worsening shortages.

Health risk

Unsafe water increases disease risk, especially in rural and low‑income communities.

Environmental degradation

Drought contributes to land degradation and reduced agricultural productivity.

UNICEF WASH programme

UNICEF's Climate‑Resilient WASH programme is improving access to safe water, with mixed but improving success.

Cycle of inequality

Water insecurity → long collection times → reduced education → reduced economic participation → reinforced poverty (guide: "perpetuating cycles of inequality").