THE Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company will tomorrow host the water-climate-industry virtual conference aimed at sharing experiences and international best practices that Zimbabwe can adopt to deal with water shortages and climate change. BY MTHANDAZO NYONI Running under the theme Shaping Resilient Cities through Smart Water and Sanitation Management, the water, sanitation, hygiene and energy conference will facilitate engagement and dialogue on access to clean, safe drinking water. “The challenge of providing safe water and the need to respond with sustainable operating models is amplified in many developing cities throughout the world. “They are plagued with the need to manage the capital expenditure in the face of dilapidating and aged infrastructure, while also trying to modernise their operations at the same time keeping citizens informed and engaged,” the ZITF Company said in a statement. The conference, which targets more than 100 participants drawn from all sectors, comes at a time Bulawayo, the country’s second largest city, is battling a serious water crisis. The water shortage in Bulawayo has led to outbreaks of diseases such as diarrhoea. The ZITF management said local authorities in Zimbabwe were affected by climate change, which has hampered from ensuring constant supply of clean, safe drinking water to citizens. Leah Wanambwa Naess, a senior policy officer in the Division of Environment, Climate Change, Water and Land Management at the African Union Commission, will deliver a keynote address. Her address will zero in on how other countries at regional level are implementing and managing water and sanitation challenges. The conference, to be held virtually as a COVID-19 precautionary measure, is being organised in partnership with the Bulawayo City Council and Climate Change Management Department in the Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry ministry.