In November, the Mozambican regional water authorities (ARAs) successfully completed the third and final phase of a training programme on dike management, alongside representatives from the National Directorate of Water Resources Management (DNGRH) and the Higher Polytechnic Institute of Songo (ISPS). This training initiative forms part of a long-term collaboration that began with ARA-Sul in 2021 and has since expanded to include other partner organisations under the Blue Deal programme.
Understanding administrative and legal frameworks
While the previous two phases focused on developing hard engineering skills, this concluding phase focused on the administrative and legal frameworks necessary for project execution.
This training course covered the key concepts of the national legislation related to service contracting, cost estimates, and the drafting of terms of reference. This approach ensures that Mozambican technicians are able to design dikes and also manage the procurement processes required for their construction.
Building on practical skills
The training in Nampula followed the technical foundation that was established earlier this year. In April, the second phase of the training took place in Tete, with a focus on geotechnical and topographic skills.
During that phase, participants engaged in fieldwork, including topographic surveying, volumetric processing, among other tasks. These field activities were complemented by laboratory demonstrations of essential soil testing methods, providing the technicians with the practical data analysis skills necessary for diagnosing dike stability.
From training to implementation
With the training cycle now complete, the focus has now shifted to practical application. With support from the Blue Deal, the three ARAs have already conducted visual inspections of some dike systems to identify critical vulnerabilities.
Currently, the ARAs are implementing a World Bank-funded programme dedicated to repairing major dike systems across the country. As part of this effort, ARA-Sul is collaborating closely with the Dutch Water Authorities (DWA) experts. Together, they are revising the rehabilitation projects to ensure that the proposed engineering solutions comply with safety standards and offer long-term protection against flooding.
