What a map! From this map of Harare you would think we were sitting on a gold mine. We are - we just don't realise that water is the gold of the future. This will lead capitalists to try and privatise water - which is not advisable for whole-of-society. Water is a public good, and it serves everyone for it to be managed and conserved so that everyone has access. For real city case studies on water - check out how Singapore's Four National Taps does this.

Harare was built on a wetland as this map from Bird Life Zimbabwe shows. Together with Harare Wetlands Trust, they have been trying to protect these vulnerable ecosystems for decades. The area of Harare captures water for 50% of the Zimbabwean population. Wetlands are natural resources which provide water capture, filtration and storage - for free! Wetlands are also seen as vacant and cheap land which is problematic as rapid human settlement (rural to urban migration) continues to occupy urban settings. There is need for better land-use planning to protect these areas.

Now have a look at your City of Harare municipal bill, and look at the cost of water. There are ~650,000 households in Harare, so this fee really adds up to supporting man-made infrastructure that has to be managed, maintained and expanded - if governed correctly. It's not easy to deliver water to a geographical area of 961 kilometres squared. So it makes sense to preserve natural resources that can do this job...for free.

There is need for better understanding of The Economics of Water to preserve access to the most fundamental human right. How can you do your bit? Well it comes down to starting to account for how you use water in your life. For fear of taking you back to Grade 5, I won't go down a rabbit hole and tell you what you should and should not do. Just kidding, I will:

1. Turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth or soaping up in a shower.
2. Don't wash your car so often, and collect water that can be repurposed for this. Potable / drinkable water should not be used for these purposes.
3. Don't water your grass! There is a season for everything.
4. Plant water wise ground cover to protect your soil to encourage rainwater to return to the underground aquifers without causing soil erosion from run-off.
5. Stop sweeping leaves away - this is a natural mulch (God's blanket) that allows the soil to be protected (hot or cold weather).
6. Keep any water from cooking to cool down and water your vegetable garden.
7. Report leaks in the city immediately!