New IWA Young Water Professionals Chapter in Zimbabwe

As part of IWA’s mission to empower Young Water Professionals to contribute to sustainable water management, a new IWA Young Water Professionals (IWA YWP) chapter was established in Zimbabwe. This IWA YWP chapter will be the country’s go-to network, boosting connections for YWPs and providing a platform to support equal opportunities and quality career development. As a voluntary network, the Zimbabwe YWP Chapter is open to all water professionals aged 35 or below who are enthusiastic, dedicated, and passionate about water-related issues. Here, the founding committee presents some key points about the chapter.

Q: What was the motivation for setting up an IWA YWP Chapter in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe's water sector is under immense pressure from climate change, ageing infrastructure, and a growing population, with a projected 38% decline in water availability per person by 2050, and a history of severe waterborne disease outbreaks. A critical ‘human capital’ gap exists: while technical expertise is present, young professionals lack platforms for mentorship, cross-sector collaboration, and leadership development. The IWA YWP chapter was established in the chapter to address these local realities by breaking down silos between universities, private companies, service providers, and government agencies, building interdisciplinary skills to manage Zimbabwe's seven distinct catchments, and driving evidence-based solutions to tackle national challenges like drought resilience, untreated sewage pollution, and the stark gap in safe water access between urban and rural areas.

Q: How will the chapter contribute to the empowerment of YWPs to contribute to the national water agenda of Zimbabwe?

The IWA YWP Zimbabwe Chapter will empower young water professionals to support Zimbabwe's national water agenda by acting as a foundational workforce engine to achieve the UN SDG 6 targets locally. The chapter will provide a platform that engineers, planners, and policymakers need to design equitable infrastructure, empowering YWPs to tackle industrial discharge and untreated sewage to prevent disease outbreaks. By providing structured leadership development, facilitating cross-sector collaboration, and integrating local talent into the global IWA network, the chapter will help train professionals in water quality and sanitation to safeguard public health, foster innovation in water efficiency for economic growth, and champion applied research in climate adaptation.

Q: What are your aims and objectives for your chapter, and what activities do you plan to do?

The goal of the Chapter is to support, connect and empower young water professionals in Zimbabwe by providing a nationally coordinated platform for professional development, collaboration, and engagement. Our primary goal for Year 1 is to focus on "Foundation, Value, and Visibility". Key objectives include building a national platform for networking, strengthening capacity through technical workshops, promoting youth leadership in the water sector, and facilitating career development through formal mentorship. Planned activities include hosting technical webinars and skill-shares on topics like GIS and water quality, running weekly "Water Wednesday" posts, partnering with universities for roadshows, organising in-person field trips to water treatment plants, and hosting an annual YWP Symposium.

Meet the founding committee of the IWA YWP Zimbabwe Chapter

Courage Nyoni: Chairperson.  

Courage is an ambitious engineer specialising in Civil and Water Engineering. He currently serves as a Strategic Planning and Research Graduate Intern for the City of Bulawayo's Water and Sanitation Department, where he designs climate resilience strategies and monitors Non-Revenue Water losses. Courage's experience spans drainage infrastructure design, academic instruction, and project site inspections, and he notably developed the award-winning "WetLand Guard" mobile application to protect ecosystems.

Tanaka C. Katanda: Vice Chair.  

Tanaka is a student at the University of Zimbabwe pursuing a BSc Honours in Social Innovation. Her expertise spans Inclusive Community Development, WASH initiatives, and Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy. With experience in youth-focused programs supported by UNICEF Zimbabwe, Tanaka is committed to amplifying SDG 6 and positioning Zimbabwe as a contributor to global water dialogues.

Eshworth Wanguwa: Secretary.

Eshworth is an impact-oriented engineer with a background in Chemical Engineering and a specialisation in Water Engineering. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Water Engineering at the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences, representing Zimbabwe. Eshworth has professional experience in water treatment, industrial water systems, and water quality monitoring.

Tinashe Edward Justice Shumba: Treasurer.  

Tinashe is a Lecturer in the Department of Civil and Water Engineering at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). He holds an MPhil in Irrigation and Water Engineering, and his research focuses on hydrology, irrigation engineering, and community water development. As the Water Research Coordinator, Tinashe leads initiatives addressing water challenges and co-authored a 2025 publication on water resource assessment.

Rutendo Zishiri: Industry and academic liaison.  

Rutendo is a WASH practitioner with a leading international NGO in Zimbabwe, with over 5 years of experience facilitating access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in rural and urban communities. She holds an MSc in Integrated Water Resources Management from the University of Dar es Salaam. Her expertise includes sustainable groundwater management and the Water-Energy-Food nexus.

Sambulisiwe Maseko: Events and Projects Coordinator.  

Sambulisiwe is an Environmental and Water Science PhD Candidate at the University of Western Cape. Her research focuses on applying GIS, remote sensing, and hydrological modelling to address water security and climate resilience. With extensive experience in environmental consulting and spatial analysis, she received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 8th WISA YWP Conference.

Tracy Ratidzaishe Mupinga-Myeza: Advisory Member.  

Tracy is a Chemical Engineer and PhD Researcher at Cranfield University focusing on sanitation systems, sludge management, and sustainable water solutions. She has contributed to projects in water and wastewater treatment across Africa and the UK and holds leadership roles with the World Youth Parliament for Water.

Tavonga Takawira: Research, Innovation, Knowledge and Communication Coordinator.  

Tavonga is a Young Regional leader in Sustainable WASH Southern Africa, a SADC-GMI Young Water Professional, and a City Principal Water Engineer with two Master's degrees in Water Supply & Sanitation Engineering.