Project description

Title: Disaster Risk Management
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Mozambique
Lead executing agency: Instituto Nacional de Gestão de Calamidades (INGC) within the Ministry for State Administration
Overall term: 2007 to 2012

Context

With floods, cyclones and droughts, as well the soil erosion and epidemics that often follow, Mozambique is one of the countries in which natural disasters are most common. The people of Mozambique are exposed to the full force of climate change as extreme weather events occur more and more often. Not only does this threaten the lives and physical health of the people – as was the case in 2000 when a cyclone claimed the lives of more than 800 people – it is also a handicap for the economy. Harvests and livestock are lost, which can lead to famine; trade is brought to a standstill, and investments have to be diverted for the reconstruction of houses, roads and bridges.

Objective

The early warning flood system operated by the local people protects against the effects of climate change.

Approach

GIZ is supporting adaptation measures for coping with the effects of climate change. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and working together with local actors in the province of Sofala on the Buzi River, GIZ has established a flood early warning system with the aim of ensuring that in the future no one is harmed when flooding occurs. Several government institutions are also involved in the scheme. The early warning system has already successfully passed its first major test: in 2007, cyclone Favio caused great damage in central Mozambique, but no one was killed.

The success of the early warning system stems from its effective and amazingly simple concept. At various points in the catchment area of the Buzi River, selected individuals in the villages are entrusted with the job of measuring precipitation levels. At the same time, easy-to-read gauges of the river's level are checked regularly. If the level rises above a certain point, trained assistants from the local population immediately send a radio message. A central coordination point in Buzi assesses whether or not a flood warning should be issued. Assistants then spread the flood warning rapidly, using megaphones or radio announcements. Local committees have been set up in the villages and members are being trained to carry out evacuations effectively.

GIZ has subcontracted the consortium IP-Consult/Ambero to implement the project.

Results achieved so far

The people who live near the Buzi River have welcomed the early warning system and participate in it with great commitment. Volunteers, village elders and district administrators all support the project.

The early warning system is gradually being expanded, and already covers 9,500 families. Disaster hazard maps have been created for the Buzi River area, and experts from both GIZ and the Munich Re Foundation, which also provides financial support for the project, have advised the National Disaster Management Institute of Mozambique on setting up its own disaster risk management advisory service. In this way, the know-how will spread to as many districts as possible that are threatened by flooding.