Rainfall in Zimbabwe is largely restricted to the period between November and March, except in the Eastern Highlands; where it is extremely variable; in many regions it is too low for commercial crop production.
Mean annual rainfall ranges from 1400mm on the Eastern Highlands, to 800mm on the North-Eastern Highveld and to less than 400mm in the Limpopo valley.
The development of water resources for economic uses is a continually pressing need, which, to date, has been met by a major dam building programme.
Rivers
The rivers in Zimbabwe fall into three groups:
- Tributaries of the Zambezi flowing north-west, north and north-east
- Rivers flowing south-east and south, some being tributaries of the Limpopo
- Rivers flowing into the landlocked Makarikari basin of Botswana
The central plateau forms the main watershed.
Zimbabwe's Rivers:
- Bubi River
- Gwayi River
- Gweru River
- Hunyani River
- Ingwesi River
- Insiza River
- Mazoe River
- Mbembesi River
- Mukuvisi River
- Mupfure River
- Mutirikwi River
- Msengezi River
- Mzingwane River
- Ngezi River
- Umguza River
- Khami River
- Kwekwe River
- Sebakwe River
- Senga River
- Shangani River
- Shashe River
- Sweswe River
- Save River
- Thuli River
- Odzi River
Dams of Zimbabwe:
- Amapongokwe Dam
- Bangala Dam
- Bangazaan Dam
- Beitbridge Dams
- Banket Dam
- Claw Dam
- Cleveland Dam
- Dutchmans Pool Dam
- Darwendale Dam
- Eben Dam
- Glass Block Dam
- Gwenoro Dam
- Gulamela Dam
- Henry Hallam Dam
- Hillside Dams
- Impali Dam
- Ingwesi Dam
- Inyankuni Dam
- Khami Dam
- Kariba Dam
- Kyle Dam
- Mananda Dam
- Mangwe Dam
- Manjireni Dam
- Manyame Poort Dam
- Manyuchi Dam
- Matopos Dam
- Mayfair Dam
- Mazowe Dam
- Mazvikadei Dam
- Mushandinge Dam
- Mwaradzi Dam
- Mwenje Dam
- Mzingwane Dam
- Ngezi Dam
- Ngondoma Dam
- Ncema Dam
- Nyanga Dam
- Palawan Dam
- Prince Edward Dam
- Rixon Dam
- Ruti Dam
- Sebakwe Dam
- Silalabuchwa Dam
- Sitanda Dam
- Siya Dam
- Smallbridge Dam
- Suri-Suri Dam
- Thuli Makwe Dam
- Thuli Mangwe Dam
- Thuli Moswa Dam
- Oackley Block Dam
- Tiyabenzi Dam
- Umguza Dam
- Umzingane Dam
- Whitewaters Dam
- Ratelshoek Dam
- Rufaro Dam
- Zhovhe Dam