The Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project Implementation Office (GMNK) and the International Hydropower Association (IHA) have signed an agreement to ensure the sustainability of hydropower in Mozambique.

"Mozambique is committed to a sustainable and clean energy system [...] and also hopes to gain important insights and lessons on how to approach future hydropower projects," said Carlos Yum, Director of GMNK.

The partnership will enable capacity building in the national energy sector through training under IHA mentorship. The idea is to improve the sustainability performance of hydropower projects, as well as provide guidance on the development of the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Plant.

According to João Costa, IHA's Head of Sustainability, the focus of the partnership is to raise awareness, facilitate dialogue, as well as strengthen local institutional capacity to manage ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues

A training on how to assess the sustainability of the project using the internationally recognized Hydropower Sustainability Tools is taking place this week. And it is expected that the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, which is delivering the training, will implement an assessment of the project using the Environmental, Social and Governance Gap Analysis Tool.