As part of the water allocation (Component 3), aiming to contribute to the improvement and innovation of the selection, construction and maintenance of small water reservoirs, a fieldwork mission took place in June 2021 in Manica and Sofala Provinces within the Pungue and Buzi basins. Two technicians of ARA Centro, a consultant from Resilience, a program partner and the program officer were part of the mission.

During the 5 days of fieldwork local government offices, agricultural fields and hydraulic infrastructure were visited to understand different water storage solutions in the region. The results of the field mission served as input for the E-learning module 4 being prepared under the cooperation of the Blue Deal with the Orange Knowledge Program (OKP).

Module 4 is a knowledge-sharing activity on water storage techniques and structures to increase water availability which will target ARA Centro technical staff and staff of NGOs involved in the process of operation and maintenance of water storage structures in order to draw up a water allocation plan for 2 pilot areas located in the districts of Nhamatanda and Vanduzi in the Pungue and Buzi basins.

In 2021, we continued the activities to introduce the software tool SIRHA of iCarto for licencing and billing of water users within the ARAs. Amongst others, the monthly “debate group" meetings were continued

ARA Sul has used this tool since 2019 and the efficiency of the working process for licensing and billing increased dramatically. As a result, ARA Sul now has a better view of the total water use, and the revenues from water users increased. Now, fewer errors in data exist and less time is spent on the process. The video in this link https://youtu.be/AI8qQSWp84c explains these improvements.

In 2020/2021, the former five ARA’s merged into three ARA’s. In addition, the department structure changed. Now the SIRHA tool has to be adapted to this new situation and the databases of water users have to be joined. More training in the use of SIRHA will be organised for ARA Centro and ARA Norte. For this work, a new assignment for iCarto for the coming year will be prepared.

Last year a prototype was developed to integrate the data of water users in the SIRHA tool with the water allocation model (WEAP) to facilitate the hydrological assessment of new requests for water use.

ARA Sul has to send 1000-1500 bills to water users every month. To improve the efficiency of this process, a prototype was made for the integration of the SIRHA data with the billing software Primavera. In the coming year, these two prototypes will be used in the working processes of ARA Sul and will be evaluated. A new pilot will be started in ARA Sul to use satellite images to find water users and a test will be done with e-learning course online requests for a licence by new water users. After a positive evaluation of these new tools, we intend to introduce these new tools in the other two ARAs.

Under the first objective of the water allocation component, aiming to improve the process of licensing and billing, a term of reference was developed by Blue Deal with the input of all the ARA’s for the continuation of the work performed by iCarto for the development and operation of SIRHA. On May 28, 2021, the last monthly meeting of the Debate Group moderated by Anton Amado took place via Skype, where new priorities were defined by each ARA for the continuation of the partnership with iCarto. The following 4 priorities were defined: tasks for unification and restructuring, training, follow-up, support and debate, identified improvements in the system and prototype developments.

A training on emergency repair of fluvial dikes took place in Bilene, Gaza Province between 14 and 21 of June 2021.

A consultant from Técnica Engenheiros Consultores prepared and facilitated the training sessions and a topographer, and two lab technicians joined the group for the last 3 days of the training. 13 staff from ARA Sul main office and staff from all basin management units attended the training.

Not all participants were familiar with dike repairs or were involved with hydraulic work on a daily basis. For future activities, it was agreed that a smaller group will be targeted to allow those working daily with dikes and hydraulic works will have a more tailored knowledge transfer.

The feacal sludge transfer station (ETLF) became active in June 2020, with a supporting team present in the field. The team consists of a manager and two technicians of SASB. NGO FACE technical team was involved in the opening process of ETLF providing assistance, after the opening of the station the team was connected in the day-to-day operational work.

During the rainy season, specifically the second season, January to March 2021, the station was closed and unable to offer its services to suction companies. During this period Beira was hit by the severe tropical storm Chalane, which passed through the city on December 19, 2020 causing heavy rainfall reaching about 100mm in 24-hour period. In the following month, on January 14, 2021, another tropical cyclone, Eloise, struck the city with high rainfall of 200 to 300 mm in 24 hours, 500 mm in 48 hours, causing flooding and other destruction to roads and infrastructures. The access road to the station was affected, which made it impossible for cars and motorcycles to get to the station. Due to the circumstances, the ETLF station had to be closed.

Early June 2021 the current situation of the ETLF was assessed by FACE. The main findings were: There is a need for a piped water supply for personal hygiene (bathroom) and cleaning materials. There is also a need for an electrical connection for more safety at night and for guarding purposes to prevent sabotage and theft of stored materials. It became also clear that the intake boxes of the septic tank need to be slightly reconstructed in order to improve the disposal process of collected sludge from the cars. It should also prevent the solid waste in the sludge from entering the septic tank. And at last, there is a need for paving the truck manoeuvring circuit to minimize erosion.

In the Inhamizua district, the assistance team is executing door-to-door visits disseminating the ETFL activities and promoting the work of suction companies.

In May 2021, 231 households were visited and in July about 1,792 door-to-door household visits were made: from the total number of visits made in the two months, 11% of households sought the services of septic tanks’ suction.

The Blue Deal is supporting the city of Beira with the improvement of the operation and management conditions of the drainage canal system through capacity building of the urban services managing entity SASB. This is partly implemented via community awareness campaigns for people living in the direct neighbourhood of the canals: awareness of solid waste management (posture, supervision, control committees, sanitation-hygiene-covid-19) and the correct use of solid waste containers.

During May 2021 1242 families were visited. It was observed that 24% of them are living within 100 meters of where garbage container is placed.

Within component 5 field teams are implementing activities. In partnership with SASB, training and education of field teams took place at the SASB offices. The training aimed at making the field teams aware of the fieldwork procedures, the challenges and objectives of conducting door-to-door visits and campaigning in general. The training in which the staff of SASB was also present was received very positively. The field teams received working equipment from FACE.

Special attention was paid to the Covid-19 aspects. The importance of personal protection for each field team member was emphasised, as well as care within the community and advice to address to people at home such as hand washing and social distancing.

In November 2019 ARA Sul discovered remarkable groundwater fluctuations in the Maputo - Incomanti River Basin. The data may indicate depletion of the groundwater system. Lizete Dias (ARA Sul) reacted: “We never knew there was such a large groundwater extraction in that area. Systematic analysis provides a lot of insight.””.

"Scenario study needed"“

In November 2019, a delegation of Dutch Water Authorities travelled to Maputo, Mozambique. They were invited to assist ARA Sul with the development of a strategic groundwater plan. Hydrologist Robert Broekhuis: “Since we don’t have a crystal ball, the development of the growth in water demand is unpredictable. A scenario study is needed to provide insight into the effects of the actual groundwater use and the different water demands.”. ”

Groundwater modelling

To be able to interpret the observations in a validated manner, a groundwater model is required. This model should approach reality as near as possible. The base of this model has been developed by experts Pieter Filius and Marijke Jaarsma. “To validate and calibrate the model, we needed monitoring data. ARA Sul has a groundwater monitoring network, from where multiple-year monitoring data can be extracted and made available for the model” – Said Robert.

Remarkable ground water fluctuations

The Mozambican and Dutch experts executed a time series analysis of the available groundwater level data. In certain monitoring series, they observed eventual abnormal groundwater fluctuations: strange ‘peaks and drops’.

Indicated depletion

On a larger scale, these new insights may indicate the depletion of the groundwater system. Lizete Dias from ARA Sul replied: “We never knew there was such a large groundwater extraction in that area. Systematic analysis provides a lot of insight.”“.

Hereunder in the left graph fluctuations in groundwater level appear twice a day. In this case, it means, the groundwater level is influenced by the tide. The right graph shows a groundwater decline at approximately 7 AM, lasting till 12 PM (only once a day). Which suggests that it’s caused by an "on-off" groundwater extraction. In addition, the water level never becomes a flat line (groundwater level at rest).

After the cyclone Idai in March 2019, ARA Centro was able to measure the maximum flood levels in the Buzi valley. Resulting in a flood risk map, that shows which areas of the river valley are at risk for such an extreme flood. This map enables necessary discussions about land use planning.

Flood risk management

Flood risk management is part of the Blue Deal project. Proper land use planning in river valleys is a must, to avoid damage by floods. Flood risk maps are crucial for discussions about land use planning.

Measure flood levels

After the extreme flood that was caused by the cyclone Idai in March 2019, flood levels were visible in the landscape of the Buzi valley. With the support of the Blue Deal project, ARA Centro measured these flood levels. A flood risk map emerged. This map shows which areas of the river valley are at risk when such an extreme flood occurs.

Initiate discussions

New discussions about land use in the Buzi Valley will be initiated. All the organizations that are responsible for land use planning, will be involved. The discussions will be based on the flood risk map that is now available.

In 2020 all ARA’s work on improving their water users relation management, by adopting the system SIRHSenior technician Lizete Dias of ARA Sul has experienced the system for two years:“Using this system, we achieved an increase of the number of licences, and consequently a rise of invoices for the use of water -and thus the budget of the institution”.

Licence management system

In 2017, iCartoa Spanish consultancy firm and partner of Blue Deal developed the ARAs Water Licence Management System (SIRH: Utentes). SIRH is not only a database, but also a tool to improve the work processes of all the departments of ARAs that are involved in the management of information on users.

Management improvements

ARA-Sul has been using this system for two years now. Lizete Dias:“SIRH has strengthened the management capacity of the departments of ARA-Sul and the internal information flow.“ In 2020, the Blue Deal project is funding the introduction of the system at ARA-Centro and ARA Centro-Norte. Furthermore, all ARAs will be getting workshops and training on the system. ARA Sul will realize system improvements to increase work efficiency.

Information on the use of water

With SIRH also information on the use of water in space and time becomes available, which is important. Because, as Lizete Dias states: “knowledge about water demand and resource availability is the key to improve access of people and enterprises to water”.

Small water reservoirs in local communities need proper functioning - in a sustainable way. This can be achieved with the active involvement of the local community.

Successful intervention by ARA Zambeze not only depends on the technical inputs and outputs but probably much more on its ability to connect with local people. They can provide support to the ARA with knowledge of types of water uses, site selection and hydrological and geological information. Or as Tiago Vilanculo from CCM – who successfully built 60 sand dams - stated: "Without the involvement of local people, we would not have been successful.”

Water reservoirs and dams

ARA Zambeze focuses on the construction of open-water reservoirs. In the same region, the non-governmental organisation Christian Council Mozambique (CCM) is active in constructing sand dams. Here part of the river discharge during the rainy season is stored in the sediments which are deposited upstream of the dam. The realization of new infrastructure is delayed due to time-consuming and bureaucratic contracting procedures, which may take up to 6 months while the suitable construction period is from August to November.

Represas

Carlos Fenhane is a specialist in represas (small water reservoirs constructed by a dam in the river) and within ARA Zambeze, he is the one and only expert in this field. Represas provide capacity for water storage in dry periods. In November 2019, Carlos and Martin Bos of DWA visited a selected number of represas in the region near Tete.

Guideline

Carlos expressed his need for more exchange of knowledge and experiences in other countries; in particular on the sustainability of dam construction. As Carlos stated: “I will perform better when I can use experiences and knowledge from colleagues elsewhere.” Now Carlos and Martin have drawn up a guideline and a manual for the design and construction of small dams.

During the joint field work it became obvious that the involvement of local communities in site selection, operation, and maintenance is a key factor for the sustainability of small water reservoirs.