The grant will come from the Bank’s Climate Investment Funds, which was set up to promote low-emission and climate-resilient growth.
According to the World Bank, Mozambique is ranked third among countries in Africa most at risk of extreme water and weather events. The Bank warns that over sixty per cent of Mozambicans live in low lying flat areas and in coastal zones, exposing them to floods and cyclones.
The Bank’s country director for Mozambique, Laurence C. Clarke, explained that “the Mozambican economy is experiencing rapid sustained economic growth. However, as evidenced by the devastating floods earlier this year, the country remains vulnerable to water and weather related hazards”.
He added that the grant will “support the government’s commitment to build future climate change resilience and more effective management of water resources and weather conditions”.
The funds come under the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) and will help the government in strengthening its hydrological and meteorological information services.
The project includes resources for training staff and institutional strengthening. It is designed to decrease vulnerability in sectors at risk from adverse weather, such as agriculture, fisheries, hydro power, transportation, infrastructure and health.
According to Louise Croneborg, a water resources management specialist at the World Bank, “hydrological and meteorological information provides a foundation for early warning systems that can prevent losses, enhance the productivity of key economic sectors, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change, targeting poorer segments of Mozambican society”.
The grant includes an extra five million dollars requested in February by Mozambique’s Minister of Planning and Development, Aiuba Cuereneia, to scale up the project and “enable the government of Mozambique to better use and integrate regional and trans-boundary water and weather information into national predictions and responses; provide earlier warnings to vulnerable communities – particularly in the flood prone areas of the Limpopo, Incomati and Zambezi; and scale up structural water management plans”.
According to the United Nations, during the floods in January and February, 119 people lost their lives and over 420,000 people were affected.
Post published in: Africa News