2007 floods and cyclone

“The magnitude of the cyclone and floods (together with drought conditions in the south of the country, which have not been part of the UN humanitarian response) all point to the effects of global warming. These natural disasters are growing more frequent and more severe with time, highlighting the importance of national preparedness to reduce the vulnerability of the population to such events and minimize their impact.” [1]

The 2007 cyclone and flood cost $ 171 million in damage and destroyed 277,000 hectares of crops [Photo: WFP/Peter Transburg]

By the end of February 2007, Mozambique was reeling from the double impact of two catastrophic natural disasters. While the Zambezi and Save rivers were already flooded, a Category Four cyclone brought more rain inland and devastated the southern coast, affecting about 300,000 to 500,000 people. [2]  Some 100,000 people still remain displaced in resettlement centres. [3]  The disaster also caused approximately US$171 million in damage to local infrastructure [4] and destroyed 277,000 hectares of crops – an estimated 80 percent of the cereal crop in the affected areas. [5]

For a country with 54 percent of its population below the poverty line, these recurring disasters exacerbate people’s existing vulnerabilities and represent major economic setbacks. [6] The loss of assets – such as homes, livestock, clothing, agricultural tools and seeds – had a devastating impact for a population dependent on subsistence agriculture and fishing. Poverty, and the lack of viable alternatives to living in the flood plain, underlies this exposure to repeated shocks. [7]

Ironically, damming the Zambezi to control flooding has put more people at risk. The ability to control the annual floods encouraged encroachment on to the lowlands of the lower Zambezi, where the land is very fertile. However, major flood events overwhelm the capacity of the dams and they are becoming more frequent. The communities currently living in the flood plain are essentially accepting the risk of major floods in return for better harvests and fishing. From a risk reduction perspective, one solution is to encourage permanent resettlement on higher ground,  [8] but many do not see this as a viable alternative to the more fertile flood plains. The national disaster management authority estimated that of those evacuated during the 2000, 2001 and 2007 floods, some 40 percent returned to the flood plains. [9]

 

 

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[1] Crosgrave, J. et al. Inter-agency real-time evaluation of the response to the February 2007 floods and cyclone in Mozambique, 2007.

[2] ODI, Mozambique: A case study in the role of the affected state in humanitarian action, 2007, p.1

[3] According to estimates by the UK Department for International Development, 163,000 were forced from their homes by the floods, while the cyclone affected an additional 134,000. WFP’s figures indicate that 285,000 were affected by the floods and 150,000 by Cyclone Favio. However, USAID suggests that flooding affected 331,500 and the cyclone an additional 172,770. ODI, Mozambique: A case study in the role of the affected state in humanitarian action, 2007, p.10

[4] EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database. www.emdat.be - Université Catholique de Louvain - Brussels - Belgium

[5] USAID

[6] The losses attributed to the 2000 floods were estimated at six percent of GDP.

[7] “Poverty, rather than disasters, is the real issue in the lower Zambezi Valley and rural Inhambane”. Crosgrave, J. et al. Inter-agency real-time evaluation of the response to the February 2007 floods and cyclone in Mozambique, 2007.
 
[8] Mozambique: Flood Lessons, IRIN, 29 January 2008
 
[9] Idem.