Maputo, July 21, 2025 (Lusa) - The Southern Regional Water Authority (ARA-Sul) of Mozambique warned on Monday of possible contamination of the Limpopo River, which crosses four African countries, stating that samples are being collected for analysis.

‘The water has a greenish tint, which has been reported from areas upstream (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana) extending to regions downstream, already in Mozambican territory,’ said a statement from ARA-Sul, responsible for the operational management of water resources in southern Mozambique, sent to the media today.

In the document, ARA-Sul states that teams from the four countries that share the management of the Limpopo basin, including Mozambique, are collecting water samples "at strategic points’"for analysis in "accredited laboratories".

The aim of the sampling is to verify the source of the contamination - industrial, algal, mining, agricultural or domestic effluents - and the type of pollutants - chemical, microbiological, toxic algae and micropollutants.

Until the results of the analyses are released, the Mozambican authorities are asking the public to "avoid consuming water directly from the river, whether for domestic use, human consumption, agricultural irrigation or animala" and to report any abnormalities observed in the watercourse "immediately to the authorities".

RYR/ADB // ADB.

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