Through the Blue Deal partnership, the Dutch Water Authorities have actively supported Mozambique's regional water authorities in improving dike management practices. This cooperation has included technical training on dike design, construction and repair, and the introduction of tools for visual dike inspection and monitoring. Based on this work, the partnership has moved on to field inspections of selected dike systems. This work started with ARA-Sul,IP and was recently extended to ARA-Centro,IP and ARA-Norte,IP, marking an important step in strengthening Mozambique's flood protection infrastructure.
Visual inspection of two major flood protection systems
In October 2024, ARA Norte,IP conducted a visual inspection of the dike of Nante, while ARA Centro,IP carried out a similar work on the dike of Luabo in March this year. Both assessments confirmed a significant deterioration in the structural condition of these flood defence systems, which requires urgent intervention.
ARA Norte’s inspection revealed widespread issues in the 19-kilometre dike of Nante, including severe erosion, deep cracks, collapsed sections, and malfunctioning hydraulic structures. On the other hand, ARA Centro’s inspection of the 64-kilometre dike of Luabo also revealed serious structural weaknesses, including cracks and gullies, excessive vegetation and large trees on the dike, buildings on top of the dike and the presence of other risky human activities.
Repeated failures due to lack of maintenance
The latest findings confirm that inadequate maintenance has left these structures vulnerable. Despite previous rehabilitation attempts, key segments of Nante’s dike continue to fail during major weather events, leaving surrounding communities and agricultural lands at risk, as past floods in 2015, 2019, and 2022 have shown.
The dike of Luabo is in an even worse state. This dike was originally built to protect the village of Luabo and the sugarcane fields nearby. However, it has not undergone any maintenance since the local sugar factory closed more than 15 years ago.
Moving forward to address the structural issues
Following these inspections, both ARAs will develop maintenance plans for these dike systems, with support from DWA dike experts. The reconstruction of the dike of Nante will begin in the near future. The financial support for this work has been secured by ARA Norte,IP as part of a programme funded by the World Bank. On the other hand, ARA Centro,IP has no clear preparations for the reconstruction of the Luabo dike.
Next steps and strategic Importance
Dike systems play a vital role in safeguarding livelihoods and reducing flood risks. These inspections are part of a coordinated strategy to increase Mozambique’s resilience to climate change by strengthening key infrastructure. The Blue Deal partnership will continue working with the ARAs and the National Directorate of Water Resources in developing practical solutions for inspecting and monitoring dike systems, developing maintenance plans, and providing advice, as needed, in large-scale interventions from other initiatives.
More about component 4
Dike training and visual inspections are an essential part of the Blue Deal's flood risk management component in Mozambique. This component is also working on other issues such as the involvement of communities in the operation and maintenance of dikes, the development of flood risk maps, the development and use of hydrological models, land use planning and flood risks, among others.
