Mozambique and Zimbabwe will now share the management of water resources and associated ecosystems of the Buzi, Púnguè and Save basins. To this end, an agreement was signed on Wednesday morning, called the Project for the Management of Competitive Uses of Water and Associated Ecosystems of the Búzi, Púnguè and Save Basins (GEF BUPUSA Project).
The project will be implemented over a four-year period, funded by the Global Environment Facility to the tune of six million dollars.
According to the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, João Osvaldo Machatine, the SADC region has 15 basins, of which only nine are shared. All of them flow into Mozambique, so whenever there are severe rains, the country suffers from floods that cause countless destruction.
As a way to minimize the impact of these events that the country has been a victim of, the solution is to share the management of these basins and, therefore, the importance of the agreement signed virtually between Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
"This type of instrument is extremely important, vital, timely, and current, because it will allow the government to plan and implement its development projects in a predictable way," said the minister, quoted by "O País".
The provinces of Gaza, Manica, Inhambane and Sofala, which are the most affected by flooding due to the location of the basins in question, will be the main beneficiaries of this project.
"We foresee that, with this initiative, we will be able to significantly reduce the economic impacts that the flooding of Búzi has been causing," stressed the governor to then add that "we, as a Government, see this agreement as extremely structuring, we will be able to minimize these negative impacts that have caused damage and setbacks in the economic and social development of our country."
The agreement signed between the parties foresees three components, the first one for flood and drought warning and mitigation, the second one aiming at ecosystem conservation and restoration for sustainable livelihoods, and finally the integrated planning of the basins of the Búzi, Púnguè and Save rivers.