Zimbabwe Interested in Russia's Help With Water Security – Water Resources Agency

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) – Zimbabwe has expressed its interest in Russia's experience in resolving issues of water deficit, river recovery and ecological education, the Russian Federal Agency of Water Resources (Rosvodoresursy) said on Tuesday.

The agency said its head, Dmitry Kirillov, has met with Zimbabwean Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbara Rwodzi. During the meeting, the sides stressed the importance of preserving and developing bilateral cooperation between Russia and Zimbabwe, including in the environmental field.

Rwodzi said her government was facing challenges with water resources, such as the deterioration of irrigation systems, the poor quality of surface and underground water sources, the absence of an advanced water storage system and the stark necessity to integrate modern water cleaning systems, according to Rosvodoresursy.

Kirillov, in turn, said that Russia was open to an exchange of experience and knowledge, and noted that Russia had state-level "mechanisms and programs for protecting and recovering water bodies, solving water deficit problems and stimulating economic entities to lower water consumption and use water saving technologies."

The Zimbabwean delegation was also interested in a Russian educational program aimed at forming an ecological culture and developing environmental volunteering, which Zimbabwe plans to implement at home, Rosvodoresursy added.