The World Bank has provided more than 13.5 million euros to support the rehabilitation of levees and dams in river basins affected by recent floods in the central and southern parts of the country.
According to Lusa, citing an official statement, the Ministry of Public Works, Housing, and Water Resources reported that emergency repairs will be carried out in the Limpopo basin in Gaza Province, the Incomáti basin in Maputo Province, and the Búzi basin in Sofala Province—regions severely affected by the floods that occurred earlier this year.
According to the document, the projects—funded by the World Bank through the Contingent Emergency Response Mechanism (CERC)—are expected to be completed by March of next year and mark the “transition from an immediate response to a phase of resilient reconstruction.” “The projects, funded by the World Bank through the Contingent Emergency Response Mechanism (CERC), cover the dikes in Xai-Xai, in the Lower Limpopo region; Incomáti, including Josina Machel Island; and Búzi, in Sofala, as well as interventions at the Massingir and Macarretane dams,” the statement said.
According to the Ministry, the projects are being undertaken in response to the impacts of the 2025–26 rainy and cyclone season, which affected more than 900,000 people, damaged public and private infrastructure, water supply stations, and agricultural areas, and are expected to benefit thousands of people in the three provinces covered.
Once the projects are completed, approximately 150,000 people and 20,000 hectares in the Lower Limpopo region, 100,000 people and 10,000 hectares in the Incomáti region, and 180,000 people and 30,000 hectares in the Búzi region will be protected, as well as approximately 500,000 people and 60,000 hectares in the areas affected by the Massingir and Macarretane dams.
Quoted in the statement, Fernando Rafael, Minister of Public Works, Housing, and Water Resources, reiterated that the government continues to work to rebuild critical infrastructure, restore essential services, and restore safety to families affected by extreme weather events.
Fernando Rafael also called on communities to protect the infrastructure that will be built, reporting illegal logging and preventing settlements in high-risk areas. “A levee is not just earth, stone, or concrete; it is protection, safety, and organized community life,” the minister stated.
According to the government, the construction projects are expected to reduce the risk of future flooding, protect agricultural areas, ensure greater safety for families, preserve public infrastructure, and strengthen communities’ resilience in the face of future weather events.
Data from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) indicate that the last rainy season in Mozambique caused 314 deaths, affected more than 1.078 million people, and damaged nearly 260,000 homes across the country, affecting 249,053 families. The report also notes that 19 people are missing and 361 were injured.
During the same period, 211,655 homes were flooded, 15,616 were completely destroyed, and 31,081 suffered partial destruction. The January floods alone—the most severe in recent years in several regions of the country—resulted in 43 deaths, 147 injuries, and nine people missing, affecting a total of 715,716 people.
