Maputo, 18 March 2026 (Lusa) – Mozambique inaugurated a flood forecasting command centre in Maputo on Wednesday, which, according to the government, will double the early warning period to six days, helping to protect more lives.
"With technological improvements and coordination, we are moving from three to six days of advance notice, which creates a real margin for communities to react, for services to get organised, and to prevent loss of life," said the Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Fernando Rafael.
The infrastructure was inaugurated this Wednesday in Maputo by the government as part of a project funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), valued at approximately $7.5 million (€6.5 million).
Rafael said that the country often experiences extreme events, such as floods, cyclones, and droughts, with severe impacts including infrastructure damage, human loss, and economic losses. "Prevention is not just a necessity, but an obligation we must fulfil," he said, adding that the new command room will allow technical data to be transformed into clear alerts and concrete actions.
According to Rafael, the system has stations for the interaction between atmospheric phenomena and surface water, hydrological forecasting models, and monitoring mechanisms, enabling improved institutional response and coordination between entities.
"The command room we are inaugurating on Wednesday is not a cosmetic room for visitors; it is a reliable management and decision-making instrument. This is where data and models are transformed into clear alerts, and clear alerts into prevention, evacuation measures, and the protection of critical infrastructure," he stated.
The minister also made several appeals, starting with the need for permanent operational discipline, underlining that equipment does not replace routines, data validation, and continuous readiness, and that the infrastructure must function with rigour even during periods without relevant occurrences.
Rafael also called for the effective integration of the National Directorate of Water Resources Management, the National Institute of Meteorology, the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, the Regional Water Administrations, local governments, and technical partners, so that they operate as a single chain.
He also highlighted the need for continuous investment to ensure the system's sustainability, noting that prevention has a cost but is significantly less expensive than reconstruction following tragedies.
The project also includes the installation of two additional command rooms in Nampula province, in northern Mozambique, and in the Mocuba district, in Zambézia province, in the centre of the country, as well as the acquisition of 14 rain gauges and 10 hydrometric stations, three radars, and nine sirens.
The South Korean Ambassador to Mozambique, Bok-won Kang, noted that the command centre represents an important step in mitigating the impacts of natural disasters and protecting populations.
"It will serve as a first-line safety net, contributing to protecting lives, minimising damage, and allowing for rapid responses," he stated.
Bok-won Kang added that the initiative is the result of sharing Korea's experience in flood management, expressing hope that the project will contribute to strengthening Mozambique's climate resilience.
The death toll in Mozambique's current rainy season has risen to 279, with almost 900,000 people affected since October, according to a 17 March update from the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD).
EYMZ/RYOL // ADB.
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