“We visited the four most flood-prone communities in Caia District in Sofala Province. In all the communities, maize, sorghum and rice fields were inundated. Some places are only accessible by boat. In Cocorico, flood levels were so high that more than 460 families had to relocate voluntarily to a higher resettlement site identified during the 2007-2008 floods.”

“Though the red alert is not valid anymore, there is still a serious need to continue monitoring the level of water at vulnerable points in the area for possible evacuation.  Early warnings through community radios and other means should be used to disseminate information to communities living in vulnerable areas.  We also have to keep watch on possible outbreaks of cholera or other diseases that may emerge due to water contamination.”

According to Kuuyuor there are several long term measures that are recommended for more sustainable living conditions in the lower Zambezi river valley: “There is a need for comprehensive land use planning policy to avoid new settlements on hazardous areas. A survey of excess water dam locations could be also done. The water harvested in these dams could be used for irrigation after the rains.”

“In the medium run the weak parts of the dykes of the river have to be monitored and all the dykes that require repairs should be surveyed.  We also expect that within the next two months the families whose farms are affected will require food and seed support.”

UNDP National Disaster Reduction Advisor Eunice Mucache, returning from another field visit to some flood affected areas and to a resettlement site created in 2008 in the Zambezi river valley says that to encourage people to stay at the safer resettlement areas, divergent opinions of safe dwelling areas should be taken into consideration and solutions should involve traditional leaders. Also socio-anthropological aspects concerning resettlement should be carefully considered to best enhance positive resettlement practices.

“Since some people have this habit of returning to the lower and risky but more fertile lands, a safer solution could be found for example so that only the farm would be kept in areas at risk and the house on high ground. People should also be trained on how to develop alternative livelihoods, including the cultivation of drought -resistant crops near their new dwellings in the safe resettlement areas. To avoid the various problems faced with the choice of resettlement areas, proper and sustainable land use plans should be done ahead of disaster occurrence, Eunice Mucache emphasizes.

This year’s flooding was caused by heavy rains not only in Mozambique but also further up the Zambezi river basin in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, and consequently by the high volume of water discharged from Cahora Bassa dam.

UNDP is supporting the Government to train and equip Local Risk Management Committees that disseminate early warning messages and promote early evacuation of populations at risk of flooding. Support is also provided to the establishment of community based flood early warning systems for the communities at risk. Activities which foster livelihood opportunities in resettlement areas fall also within the scope of UNDP’s support to early recovery and longer term resettlement processes. More about the UNDP project called Strengthening Local Risk Management and Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction  that is UNDP’s contribution to the One UN Joint Programme for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness in Mozambique

For further information kindly see the Humanitarian Country Team Report as per 22 February 2011 attached.