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Business Reporter
AN estimated 300 delegates drawn from diverse sectors are expected to attend this year’s annual Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Energy (WASHen) conference to be held in Bulawayo this week.

Preparations for this year’s conference are at an advanced stage and the event will be combined with the inaugural Climate Change Conference.

In a statement, organisers of the WASHen conference, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Company, said the event would be held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre from Thursday November 15 to 16.

“With a week to go preparations for the 4th edition of the WASHen conference are at an advanced stage.

“Running under the theme, Catalysing Socio-Economic Transformation Through Wash Synergies,” the water, sanitation, hygiene and energy conferences and exhibition aim to facilitate engagement and dialogue on sustainable solutions to tackling national water, sanitation and climate change issues as well as to identify the gaps in knowledge and application thereof,” it said.

Highlights of the two-day event are the Climate Change conference and WASHen exhibition to be held on the first day while WASH conference on waterborne disease prevention, management and elimination and the WASHen exhibition on the last day.

“Discussions will centre on assessing our national responsiveness strategy, interrogating the causes of recurrence as well as identifying solution imperatives for the prevention and eradication of these diseases,” said ZITF.

The inaugural Climate Change conference is being organised in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Climate. Lands, Agriculture, Water and Climate Minister Perrance Shiri will be the guest of honour.

Other speakers include Energy and Power Development permanent secretary Engineer Gloria Magombo, Renewable Energy Association of Zimbabwe (REAZ) chairman Mr Isaiah Nyakusendwa as well as senior representatives from the Infrastructural Development Bank of Zimbabwe, Zesa and Distributed Power Africa, among others.