Record rainfall in November has raised concern over the threat of serious floods this season in the northern provinces of Nampula and Zambezia and the southern provinces of Maputo and Gaza. Concerns are even greater in Maputo and Gaza where soils remain saturated as result of last season's flooding. Households along the Rios Maputo, Umbeluzi and Incomati are already at risk of losing their assets due to rising water levels. Mozambique's Southern Regional Water Administration has been releasing water from dams in an effort to manage the increasing water levels to avoid serious flooding. Normal to above-normal rains are forecast for the coming three months.
In Gaza Province, several secondary and tertiary roads are currently in bad conditions due to heavy rainfall and high soil moisture. Additionally, the Department of Epidemiology has reported localized cholera outbreaks.
Various contingency planning exercises are now under way by government, international agencies and NGOs. These plans aim to increase disaster preparedness in flood prone areas and to empower communities with the necessary skills and resources to reduce the negative impact of natural disaster, and to improve their coping capacity in the event of an emergency.
A multi-agency team conducted a study in five districts of Gaza Province along Rio Limpopo to assess existing flood early warning capacity at local levels in the Limpopo Basin. The team investigated ways to improve the flow of information and also assessed outstanding flood damage and the current hydrological status of rivers. The study revealed that advance warnings were issued during the 2000 floods, but noted that the messages issued at the village level did not convey the magnitude of the impeding disaster. The team also identified the need to improve coordination and linkages among different partners in the Limpopo Basin in order to rapidly disseminate clear flood warning information.
A Food Economy Baseline Study was conducted in flood-affected areas of Gaza Province by FEWS NET, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, and WFP. The study provided a contextual understanding about how people access food and cash income and how they spend their money in a normal year. The study revealed that these areas have high agricultural potential, sufficient to cover both food and income needs in a normal year. Household income is supplemented by mining employment in South Africa, providing an additional buffer against the potential affected of floods. Even in the worst case scenario (serious flooding), households in the study area would require a relatively modest amount of food assistance for a limited duration.
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