The government has raised the estimated cost of the post-flood recovery and reconstruction plan to $1.6 billion. The announcement was made on Tuesday (24) at the conclusion of a Cabinet meeting in Maputo.
The new projection comes after the government assessed infrastructure damage caused by the floods at $644 million in January. According to the spokesperson for the Council of Ministers, Salim Valá, the figure now announced is based on preliminary estimates, taking into account the extent of the damage recorded since the start of the rainy and cyclone season in October of last year.
“The impact of the floods has already affected more than one million people across the country,” stated Salim Valá. “The forecasts and estimates we currently have indicate that the recovery and reconstruction plan will amount to, though not yet definitively, approximately $1.6 billion.”
The government stated that the recovery plan is in the final stages of development. The document is organized into five main areas, designed to provide an integrated response to the impacts of the floods and ensure coordinated action by the government.
Among the priority areas are saving lives, providing humanitarian assistance, and restoring mobility. These measures aim to provide immediate support to affected populations and restore movement in areas hit by flooding.
The plan also includes infrastructure restoration, economic recovery, and creating conditions to strengthen the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters. These areas are considered essential to ensuring a sustainable response and reducing future vulnerabilities.
During the January floods, the government explained that this plan represents a new policy direction. The strategy involves integrating climate risk management, prevention, preparedness, and resilient reconstruction into the country’s governance and development model.
With this approach, the Government aims to place the protection of human life at the center of government action, promoting safe territorial development. The planning incorporates risk maps and land-use planning, ensuring that infrastructure and human settlements are designed to withstand extreme weather events.
According to data from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, updated as of Monday, two more deaths have been recorded in recent days. The total death toll has risen to 298, with more than one million people affected—representing 234,000 families—in addition to 17 missing and 351 injured.
Source: Lusa
