The European Union (EU) will disburse 32.8 million euros for the mapping of natural disaster risk zones in the central Búzi River, the World Food Program (WFP), the project's managing entity, announced on Wednesday.

"This is very important funding for Mozambique, for the implementation of this project to map risk zones along the Búzi River," WFP representative Pierre Lucas told journalists.

Lucas was speaking to journalists during a demonstration of the use of drones to map an area at risk of natural disasters in the Guaraguara district of Búzi.

Pierre Lucas said that the operation will allow an accurate identification of areas prone to natural disasters and the elaboration of response plans to weather events.

"The result will contribute, in the long term, to the mitigation of the adverse effects of extreme weather events, such as cyclones, floods and inundations, along the Búzi watershed" he assured.

Mapping is being conducted across the entire Búzi watershed, which covers nine districts in the provinces of Sofala and Manica, and the results of this exercise will benefit more than 1.1 million people living in the 342 villages located along the watershed.

"The 'drones' are the technological tool that allows more agility to the technicians and greater accuracy of the information generated," said the deputy director of the National Operational Center for Emergency (CENOE), António Beleza.

Beleza said that the activity will allow local authorities to be more prepared for upcoming floods and local communities to become more resilient.

Mozambique is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change in the world.

In the last three years, five tropical cyclones (Desmond, Idai, Kenneth, Chalane, Eloise and Guambe) have caused hundreds of deaths and extensive material damage, mainly in the central provinces.

Lusa Agency