The National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) is finalising prevention and response measures for the 2024-25 rainy and cyclone season. According to the organisation, the main aim is to mitigate the impacts of potential floods and other extreme weather events that could affect various regions of the country, according to the newspaper Noticias.
The contingency plans are currently being drawn up at district level, and will then be integrated into the provinces and finally harmonised at central level. After this stage, the plan will be submitted to the technical council and finally to the Council of Ministers for final approval.
For the 2024-25 rainy season, the INGD estimates that around 3.5 million people could be affected by extreme weather events, with 300,000 needing urgent humanitarian assistance.
In terms of infrastructure, forecasts indicate that approximately 400,000 hectares of agricultural land are at risk of being flooded, which could jeopardise food production in various regions of the country. In addition, nearly 400 schools and 500 health centres are expected to be at risk.
The national directorate for water resources management says that the storage levels of the dams in upstream countries, namely South Africa and Eswatini, with which Mozambique shares the Maputo, Umbeluzi, Incomati and Limpopo basins, are high. These countries could start discharging in the coming weeks, which could increase the risk of flooding in Mozambican areas downstream.
The Pongula dam in South Africa is due to start discharging 400 cubic metres per second into the Maputo basin from the second half of this month, as part of international cooperation. In the Umbeluzi basin, the Pequenos Libombos dam, with 92% of its storage capacity, is carrying out controlled releases of 10 cubic metres per second, in order to create greater storage capacity.
In response to the risk of flooding, the authorities are implementing preventive measures, including the creation of temporary shelters in the cities of Maputo, Matola, Beira and Quelimane. At the same time, drainage ditch cleaning operations are underway to minimise the impact of floods in urban areas.
According to the information, the INGD reaffirms its commitment to coordinating prevention and response actions, counting on the collaboration of various government and international organisations to ensure that the country is better prepared to face the challenges of the next rainy season.