Zimbabwe and Malawi Roll Out Major Water Infrastructure Initiatives

Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development announced a plan to expand irrigated land on Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) estates from 2,500 hectares to 25,000 hectares by 2030. The government aims to boost grain production, strengthen food security and mitigate climate‑related rainfall variability by reorganising 460 irrigation schemes into business units and partnering with communal, A1 and A2 farmers.

In Malawi, the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Roz a Mbilizi told Parliament that an additional $200 million (about K350 billion) is needed to finish the Salima‑Lilongwe Water Supply Project by June 2027. The project, costing $315 million in total, is expected to deliver roughly 100 million litres of water per day to 1.5 million people in Salima, Dowa and Lilongwe once completed.