As part of the ongoing Blue Deal partnership, water authorities in Mozambique are gaining access to advanced tools and developing a strong network of expertise on flood risk management. This commitment has been demonstrated through two significant activities this year: a training session on flood risk mapping and the implementation of a new forecasting system.
Development of flood risk maps for flood-prone basins across the country
In October, a training session in Maputo marked a significant milestone for the "Train the Trainer" initiative within the Blue Deal. Celso Muima and António Melembe, experts from ARA-Centro,IP (Pungue division), led a two-day training course about the development of flood risk maps using satellite images for professionals from the National Directorate of Water Resources Management (DNGRH ) and ARA-Sul.
This action reinforces the continuous cycle of knowledge sharing between the Mozambican water authorities. Having previously trained colleagues from ARA-Centro in 2023 and ARA-Norte in 2024, the same facilitators have passed on this vital expertise to colleagues in southern Mozambique.
The four entities responsible for water management in Mozambique can now work together to develop flood risk maps and make data-driven decisions across the catchments they manage. ARA-Centro began this work in 2023, developing flood maps for the Buzi and Pungue river basins with support from the BUPUSA project. In 2024, ARA-Norte began developing flood maps for the Licungo river basin. ARA-Sul will start developing flood maps for the Umbeluzi river basin.
Supporting the implementation of the BUPUSA-FEWS system
As part of the partnership's training initiatives, the Blue Deal and the BUPUSA Commission also organised a technical workshop at the DNGRH in April of this year. The primary goal was the installation, commissioning, and user training for the BUPUSA-FEWS – an Early Warning System for Floods based on the Delft-FEWS platform for the Buzi, Pungue and Save (BUPUSA) river basins. The workshop was attended by technicians from Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The ability to run live simulations and manage real-time data significantly improves the BUPUSA-FEWS system's capacity to predict floods and mitigate flood-related risks for communities in both countries. This further strengthens regional efforts to improve transboundary cooperation.
Looking Ahead
The progress in knowledge sharing activities and the operational integration of the BUPUSA-FEWS system underscore an ongoing commitment to strengthening Mozambique's water management network. The Blue Deal will continue to follow these developments closely as all ARAs develop their flood maps and standardised forecasting models are further refined under the BUPUSA project.
