Five countries are featured in the Global status of multi-hazard early warning systems 2024 report that demonstrate national efforts. Each case study includes details of the key institutions involved in MHEWS at the national level as well as the legislative frameworks and national plans that can support MHEWS.
National context
Situated in the southeastern part of Africa, Mozambique is susceptible to various disasters including floods, droughts and tropical cyclones exacerbated by its coastal geography and variable climate patterns. Mozambique was notably impacted by tropical cyclone Idai in March 2019, followed by tropical cyclones Kenneth and Eloise in January 2021, and Tropical Cyclone Freddy in February-March 2023. The country's population is predominantly rural, with much of the labour force dependent on subsistence agriculture, and particularly vulnerable to weather extremes. Indeed, the 11 recorded drought events from 2000 to 2023 affected over 13.5 million people. Similarly, floods affected 7.5 million people and caused approximately $ 1.1 billion in damage, while storms affected 5.8 million people and caused $ 2.7 billion in damage (EM-DAT). Epidemics, especially cholera, are also common in Mozambique, affecting over 100,000 people.
The country's technical capacity and infrastructure for MHEWS is evolving but continues to face significant challenges. Like the rural parts of other LDCs, many of the remote areas of Mozambique lack reliable infrastructure, hindering the timely dissemination of warnings to vulnerable communities. In addition, there is a need to further strengthen coordination among various government agencies, NGOs and international partners to ensure the efficiency of early action initiatives.
Highlights and successes
Key stakeholders:
Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) "operates under the Ministry of State Administration and is mandated to coordinate emergencies, promote disaster prevention through population and government mobilization, protect human lives, ensure multisectoral coordination in disaster emergency, coordinate EWS, carry out public awareness and re-utilize arid and semiarid zones".
The National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) is responsible for the production and dissemination of weather forecasts and warnings.
The National Delegation of Hydraulic Resources Management (DNGRH) under the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources is responsible for the "management of water resources, ensuring their best use and rational and sustainable use, as well as for the prevention and mitigation of the impacts of floods and droughts".
The Mozambique Red Cross Society provides support to communities to reduce their vulnerability to disasters and strengthen their response capacity.
Platforms, policies and plans:
The Disaster Risk Management Act (2020) provides the legal framework for MHEWS in Mozambique. It "applies to public administration bodies and institutions, to citizens and to legal persons, public or private, who, in the performance of their duties, contribute to the management and reduction of disaster risk and the building of resilience to extreme events".
Act No. 15/2014 establishes the legal framework for disaster risk management, outlining the responsibilities of various institutions as well as the procedures for managing disasters. The law defines the roles of INGC and other stakeholders in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. It mandates the development of DRR plans at the national, provincial and local levels, and establishes protocols for emergency response and recovery operations.
The Master Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction 2017-2030 outlines the strategic priorities and actions for DRR (over a 13-year period. It focuses on integrating DRR into national development plans and implementing structural and nonstructural measures to mitigate risks. The plan emphasizes the importance of strengthening EWS and improving disaster preparedness at all levels of society.
In addition to these national level plans, Mozambique is a signatory to the 'Maputo Declaration on the Commitment by SADC [Southern Africa Development Community] to enhance Early Warning and Early Action in the Region' (African Union, 2022; see CREWS in Mozambique).
Activities and projects:
Mozambique launched the EW4All Initiative in November 2023 and its EWS Road Map and Action Plan were endorsed by the government on 21 August 2024, together with the launch of the support the country is receiving through the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (see 14 in section 3.3.1). The EWS Road Map and Action Plan are expected to consolidate EWS-related initiatives and efforts and ensure support to critical country needs and requirements.
Since 2021, INAM, INGC and DNGRH have worked with partners (including WFP, FAO and IFRC) to establish technical working groups for harmonized drought monitoring and trigger activation. In 2023, the technical working group was "officially expanded and endorsed as a Multi-Hazard EWS/ anticipatory action TWG, moving away from a sole drought focus" (WFP, 2024).
In 2023, INAM monitored the El Niño-induced drought and activated triggers in at least three districts. This allowed the activation of anticipatory action plans that helped reduce the potential impacts of drought on at-risk communities, "reaching 41,600 people with anticipatory cash transfers and 270,000 people with early warning messages ahead of predicted drought." In addition, "WFP Mozambique supported the Government to implement its national anticipatory plan to reach a further 30,000 people with nutrition activities, conservation agriculture techniques, and a rehabilitation of water supply systems ahead of the drought" (WFP, 2024). The government and partners continue to collaborate to review the effectiveness of the activation and early actions. There is sustained cooperation with Eduardo Mondlane University to improve indicators and triggers. UNDRR is likewise coordinating with the government to assist in further refining the triggers through enhancements in national capacities for risk assessment.
From August to December 2024, UNDRR will work with INGC to i) develop an operational framework and guide on the production, access to and use of risk information for EWEA; ii) enhance the capacities of technical staff of mandated agencies to develop multi-hazard, exposure and vulnerability assessments, and iii) ensure integration of risk information in INGC's MyDewetra platform to assist with impact-based forecasting. These efforts are supported under the Sweden-funded Project, 'Early Warning for All Multi- Stakeholder Accelerator in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States'. Mozambique is likewise one of three pilot countries in the Africa Network of Centres of Excellence for Disaster Risk Reduction (NoE) project, which aims to enhance the capacity of African research, academic and science centres as well as foster joint development and delivery of customized and user needs-driven services, tools, products and training to respond to the needs of early warning and/or DRR institutions (see Box 10 in section 3.2.3).
Challenges and gaps
Mozambique faces various challenges relating to EWEA. Despite improvements in hydrometeorological monitoring and forecasting, gaps remain in terms of coverage and accuracy, particularly for localized weather events and rapid-onset disasters. While the maturity of some aspects of Mozambique's MHEWS capacity exceeds that of other countries in the region and globally - for example in terms of having a legal framework for MHEWS and its use of remotely sensed data - its capacity for impact-based forecasting is especially weak (see Figure 4.5).
Limited financial and human resources strain efforts to enhance technical capabilities or sustain EWS infrastructure and operations. In addition, the country's geography and dispersed population complicate EWS efforts in remote areas. Dissemination of warnings to at-risk communities in those areas is hampered, thereby reducing the lead time for preparedness and response efforts during disasters.
Given the various EWS actors in Mozambique, it is critical to enhance collaboration, establish clear lines of communication, and clarify plans and protocols to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of early action and emergency response.
Lessons learned and good practices
Key lessons and good practices relevant to MHEWS include the need to:
- Develop a normative approach and methodology for producing/updating risk information.
- Ensure national capacities are developed/ enhanced to produce risk information for countries to sustain the process of updating risk information at regular intervals.
- Integrate the risk information in platforms to enhance impact-based forecasting.
- Link UNDRR efforts with existing initiatives by the government and other partners.
CREWS in Mozambique
CREWS aims to strengthen hydrometeorological systems and EWS across the SADC region to improve monitoring, detection and forecasting of hydrometeorological hazards, and establish robust communication systems for anticipatory action and timely dissemination of warnings, operational coordination, and collaboration between meteorological and disaster risk management institutions.
CREWS has already supported Mozambique through its Accelerated Support Window by providing financing for the development of a regional EWS and response framework for the SADC as well as contributing to a Ministerial Declaration. The 'Maputo Declaration on the Commitment by SADC to enhance Early Warning and Early Action in the Region' (African Union, 2022) called on governments to "support and take an active peoplecentred role to ensure all citizens, in particular the most vulnerable communities (children, women, internally displaced, people with disabilities, etc.) in SADC are covered by effective Early Warning and Early Action System initiatives" (African Union, 2022).
In support of the Maputo Declaration, a CREWS Southern Africa regional project covering Mozambique is in the pipeline with the aim of improving operational forecasting and both strengthening and scaling up MHEWS in the region. The proposed $ 5.5 million project will leverage a number of initiatives in the region with a total of $ 21 million. This is scheduled for discussion at the 20th CREWS Steering Committee meeting in January 2025.
SOFF in Mozambique
To date, INAM has funded the observation network through governmental budget and international development projects. However, limited resources and other factors have made network accessibility and maintenance difficult. The country currently has no GBON-compliant stations. Mozambique is receiving $ 7.8 million in Investment Phase support from SOFF to install six new land surface stations, upgrade 15 existing surface stations and install four upper-air stations to meet GBON requirements.
The South African Weather Service is the SOFF peer adviser and WFP acts as the SOFF implementing entity.
SOFF support will also ensure the sustainability of stations funded by previous projects, including those from the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience, Nordic Development Fund and World Bank, which were abandoned due to a lack of maintenance resources and spare parts.