The construction and improvement of urban infrastructure in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces should start soon, with the conclusion of the terms of reference and environmental and social impact studies.
The project, to be implemented in the cities of Nacala-Porto and Nampula, in Nampula province, and Montepuez and Pemba, in Cabo Delgado, foresees an investment of 100 million US dollars.
According to the Notícias newspaper, the initiative, funded by the World Bank, aims to respond to the challenges of growth in cities in the northern part of the country, in a context where socio-economic weaknesses and terrorist attacks have forced people to move.
In fact, a World Bank mission was in the city of Maputo a few days ago to confirm the effectiveness of the Northern Mozambique Urban Development Project (PDNUM).
The guidelines of the project, which is in charge of the Housing Development Fund (FFH), justify that the rural population is moving to the urban agglomerations in search of economic opportunities and access to basic services.
This phenomenon and subsequent urban growth also occurs in cities near resource-rich areas and along transportation corridors, forming a larger system of cities and strengthening urban-rural connections.
The document indicates that about 324,000 people will benefit from urban infrastructure and basic services, of which 162,000 are women. Another 40,500 households will benefit from improved housing conditions.
The initiative provides for integration with other ongoing projects in the region, strengthening human capital and key economic and social institutions as well as mitigating the impacts of the conflict on medium-term development.
The PDUNM is expected to focus interventions on building and improving municipal infrastructure and services, land management and housing, as well as on urban policies and institutional strengthening.
In the area of infrastructure, the investment will be in the construction and rehabilitation of access roads, drainage and water supply systems, health centers, spaces for the implantation of markets and support for economic activities.
As part of improving land and housing management, it is planned to provide construction "kits" for building resilient housing, evolving housing modules, and making infrastructure land available.
On the other hand, municipal services will be supported in modernizing and expanding tax, asset and land registers and instruments, strengthening internal and external control of the main urban land administration procedures, and improving transparency and accountability.