Barriers to sustainable water resources management - a Zimbabwean case study

An investigation of barriers to a more sustainable management of the availa ble water resources in a Zimbabwean catchment has been conducted. Currently (spring 1997), the water resources of Zimbabwe are managed according to th e 1976 Water Act. Two types of barrier have been identified: those directly related to the Water Act and others related to the traditional perception of water resources in Zimbabwe. Barriers related to the Water Act include t he existing water right system, a highly centralized system of decision mak ing, and a non-participatory system. Other barriers are the price of water, lack of information (both water resources system data and socio-economic d ata), lack of drought planning, and little or no environmental concern.