The African Development Bank (AfDB) is assessing opportunities to support the city of Maputo in solid waste management and the strengthening of sanitation and drainage capacity, with a focus on wastewater treatment, the reuse of treated effluent, and the management of faecal sludge, according to the Mozambique Information Agency (AIM).
The prospect of cooperation was raised on Monday (21) by the Municipal Sanitation and Drainage Company (EMSD), which is seeking to draw on the experience and technical assistance of the AfDB and other development partners to improve the management of the capital’s sanitation infrastructure.
According to EMSD board chairman Borges da Silva, the municipality intends to make better use of the existing infrastructure at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (ETAR), including the basins designated for the retention of faecal sludge.
“The municipality of Maputo, through EMSD, faces several challenges. Among them is precisely the management and operation of the ETAR,” he said.
Borges da Silva explained that faecal sludge could cease to be treated solely as waste and instead be used as a raw material for the production of fertilisers for agriculture. The approach fits within a circular economy framework, transforming sanitation by-products into new goods and potential revenue streams.
For EMSD, AfDB support could help improve infrastructure management, prepare projects, and mobilise financing.
“Development agencies have at least three important components that we think we can capitalise on. First, the technical assistance component. We will continue talking with the AfDB and with the agencies themselves to see if we can mobilise technical assistance for EMSD and for project preparation,” said Borges da Silva.
The AfDB’s resident representative, Rómulo Correa, highlighted the potential of the ETAR facilities and said he was impressed by the municipal company’s capacity to expand its activities and increase wastewater treatment for the municipalities of Maputo and Matola.
“I was genuinely surprised by the company’s capacity to manage its expansion of activities, generating a much greater treatment capacity for residents of Maputo and Matola,” he said.
According to Rómulo Correa, one of the aspects that most captured the AfDB’s attention was EMSD’s potential to apply circular economy principles — giving productive use to waste streams that previously had no specific application, including the production of fertilisers for agriculture or biogas for energy generation, contributing to Mozambique’s energy transition.
The city of Maputo faces growing challenges in sanitation and drainage, compounded by the impact of climate change and the obsolescence of parts of its existing infrastructure. According to EMSD, there is a pressing need to expand the public sanitation and drainage network, particularly to address the needs of peri-urban areas.
“There is a need to expand public sanitation and drainage network services. There are various peri-urban areas and a whole pipeline of projects that we need and to which we can invite development agencies,” said Borges da Silva.
EMSD is maintaining contact with other agencies beyond the AfDB to mobilise technical and financial support for the preparation and execution of projects.
The scale of the challenges is also reflected in the company’s operating costs, which currently run at approximately 2.5 million meticais per month. In this context, the conversion of faecal sludge into fertilisers and the harnessing of biogas for energy production are identified as avenues to improve waste management and reduce losses, while potentially creating new revenue sources for the utility.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/22/desenvolvimento-2/maputo-bad-prepara-apoio-a-gestao-de-residuos-e-ao-saneamento/
