Maputo, 6 Oct (AIM) – Mozambique’s relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGD), was warned that heavy rains and extreme climate events, during the 2023-2024 rainy season, may affect 250,000 households living in low-lying areas of the northern provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado.
According to the INGD delegate in the northern region, Helder Sueia, the forecast is that rainfall in the northern provinces will be between normal and more than normal. Flooding is therefore likely, as happened during the last rainy season.
Right now, Sueia said, the INGD is elaborating a national contingency plan in order to determine the necessary measures to minimize the damage.
“The challenge is to improve the sharing of information with the population about the need to abandon the regions regarded as risky”, the delegate said.
According to Sueia, community radios play a very important role in the process of spreading information so that people may take better precaution measures.
“The National Meteorology Institute has improved its capacity to forecast climate phenomena, and may give information five days in advance”, he said.
Sueia explained that “the 250,000 households live near the Megaruma, Messalo and Maunda river basins. The households are located there because of the irrigation of their fields during the agricultural season. In this area, the government has been investing continuously in assistance of people affected by heavy rains.”
(AIM)
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