building capacity for disaster preparedness · disaster. the mind project applied the same approach...

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESSMozambique MIND Final Report

SEPTEMBER 30, 2005This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development.It was prepared by Chemonics International Inc.

At a family compound on the banks of the Save River, women processmaize while listening to one of the first Freeplay self-powered radios distributed by MIND.

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BUILDING CAPACITY FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESSMozambique MIND Final Report

USAID Contract Number : OUT-AOT-I-803-00-00142-00

The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

Source: Atlas p. 19Mozambique shares the Limpopo Basin (delineated in brown) with three neighboring countries, making disaster management an international matter.

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

THE FLOODS OF 2000: A TIME OF RECKONING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

RELIABLE DATA FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

NO ORDINARY ATLAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

THE FLOOD AND CYCLONE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS . . . . . . . 19

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

NEXT STEPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

ON THE COVER: (color photo) A secondary school student in Nova Mamboneholds a blue warning flag from the Cyclone Early Warning System kit givento community members selected for their leadership. Children at all gradelevels study the system of alerts, using the Atlas as a textbook.

(black and white) This measuring rod along the Save River shows that thearea is in the midst of a serious drought. But when the river is rising, readingsare taken three times a day to monitor the threat of flooding.

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iii

Source: Atlas p. 11Satellite photos of the Limpopo River document the extent of inundation in 2000.The small inset map shows normal conditions.

vEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2000 and 2001, a series offloods and cyclones overwhelmedcentral and southern Mozambique,revealing serious shortcomings inthe nation’s disaster preparednessand response systems. To strengthenMozambique’s ability to preventhuman losses and economic disruptions from these naturalhazards, USAID allocated $4.7 million to the four-yearMozambique IntegratedInformation Network for Decision-making (MIND) project.

Through upgrades in data gath-ering, knowledge creation, andinformation sharing, MINDstrengthened early warning systemsfor floods and cyclones andhelped improve disaster manage-ment and contingency planning.In the process, MIND fosterednetworking and built Mozambicancapacity to unprecedented levels.MIND combined a spectrum oftools — from high-tech, satellite-derived rainfall estimations tomulticolored cyclone warningflags, from Internet-based radiobroadcasts to wind-up radios —to ensure that appropriate infor-mation reached decision makersat all levels, and supported and

expanded early warning andresponse networks at the local level.

MIND found a natural homewithin the respected and well-established Famine EarlyWarning System Network(FEWS NET) activity, which hasbeen working in southern Africasince the early 1990s to providetimely and reliable early warningand vulnerability information.FEWS NET has focused mainlyon food insecurity caused bydrought, which is a slow-onsetdisaster. The MIND projectapplied the same approach topredict and prepare for cyclonesand floods — both rapid-onsetweather events with enormouspotential to affect food securityand livelihoods.

One of MIND’s major accom-plishments was the Atlas forDisaster Preparedness andResponse in the Limpopo Basin,published in 2003 in Englishand Portuguese. This ground-breaking work unified in a single,authoritative source accuratemaps, recent data, originalresearch and analysis, and infor-mation to respond to floods,

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

cyclones, and droughts. The Atlascontains maps and data from theLimpopo Basin on “traditional”atlas topics (roads, schools, pop-ulations, soils), a detailed pictureof how different socioeconomicgroups obtain their livelihoods,and scenarios of the likelyimpacts of various disasters onhouseholds and local economies.The book was distributed widelyand local workshops introducedit as a tool for disaster planning.

Though floods have not recurredin the Limpopo Basin since theAtlas’ release, government andaid agencies have used it to assessand respond to recent droughtsand food insecurity. Schools,development agencies, and theprivate sector use it for their ownpurposes; Mozambican andinternational researchers draw onit for many types of analyses andstudies. The Atlas has receivedinternational recognition as well.

Malawi, Zambia, and Angolasent delegations to Mozambiqueto learn how it was prepared.South Africa, the regional power-house, invited Mozambique toshare its experience in developingthe Atlas and incorporated theAtlas into its own Internet-basedvulnerability atlas. Embassies inBrussels and Paris refer to theAtlas to answer requests forinformation on Mozambique.

Benefits arising from the processof creating the Atlas are as – ifnot more – important than thebook itself. The project builtlong-term human capacity forthe country, created linkagesbetween key institutions, andspurred demand for high-qualityinformation for disaster manage-ment and national development.The Atlas brought to the tablemore than 100 people from govern-ment agencies, international andnongovernmental organizations,

Eduardo Mondlane University(UEM) in Maputo partnered withthe National Institute for DisasterManagement and MIND to build aGIS program in the university’sgeography department.

and community groups andunited them in a common pur-pose: to reduce Mozambique’svulnerability to natural disastersthat impede sustainable economicdevelopment and threaten food security.

The Government ofMozambique provided leadershipand political will. The Atlasprovided the way, catalyzing aparticipatory process that embodiedand supported democratization.Working on the Atlas establishedfirm partnerships among manyinstitutions, including MIND’sunique collaboration withEduardo Mondlane University(UEM) and the National Institutefor Disaster Management

(INGC). The nation went fromhaving zero geographic informationsystem (GIS) capacity to a fullyequipped, state-of-the-art computerlaboratory and an academic program in UEM’s Departmentof Geography. The Atlas traineda cadre of committed, talentedMozambican professionals to usethe latest technological tools.

The Atlas presents a completepicture of the impact of the lastfloods and a scientific basis formaking decisions about rescue,relief, resettlement, and planning.Its solid documentation of eventsand synthesis of informationmake it the reference of record.It is an educational instrumentthat guarantees administrators

Sérgio Maló (pink shirt), one of the first UEM students to learnGIS mapping through MIND, nowteaches these skills to others.

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viiEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

and planners have a baselineagainst which to assess future events.

The Atlas describes the earlywarning systems that MIND created and introduced. Theflood early warning frameworkestablished for the LimpopoBasin, through technical assis-tance from the United StatesGeological Survey (USGS),enables Mozambican water agencies to model river basins,

forecast future rainfall, andmeasure water levels at key sitesalong a river. This allows specificvillages to be warned of imminentrisk and emergency responders toinitiate preparedness well beforefloods reach populated areas. Asan indication of the success ofthe capacity-building effort,Mozambican agencies areexpanding the USGS model toother basins and training regionalwater authorities on its use.

Source: Atlas p. 78The Stream Flow model developed by USGS/MIND and ARA-Sul producesmaps showing areas under water in mild, moderate, or severe flood levels;the software automatically generates a list of towns to notify.

LEVEL 1 WARNINGMild flood

LEVEL 2 WARNINGModerate flood

LEVEL 3 WARNINGSevere flood

MIND acted quickly to fund thecountry’s first cyclone earlywarning system (CEWS) in timefor the 2001-2002 rainy season.While other partners worked toimprove the National Institute ofMeteorology’s (INAM’s) abilityto track cyclones in theMozambique Channel withradar, MIND worked withINAM to create public awarenessof cyclone risks. The CEWS uses colors to tell remote, oftenilliterate communities when acyclone will hit; numbers from 1 to 5 rank storm intensity andindicate potential damage tolocal houses and crops. Flags,posters, stickers, and local lan-guage radio help disseminate thesystem. Solar and wind-up radioshave been distributed in high-risk communities to overcomelow radio ownership and thehigh cost of batteries.

MIND’s latest effort to enhancethe communication of disaster warning messages is RANET.This innovative global initiativeharnesses the power of the

Internet and disseminates real-time information to isolatedcommunities via satellite whileproviding communities withtheir own local radio station in times when no disaster islooming. MIND also trainedjournalists to report weatherinformation clearly and inactionable form, whether fordecision makers in Maputo orvulnerable villagers living along a river.

MIND achieved significantprogress only because it managedto rally people around a com-mon goal to form partnerships,identify problems, and worktogether toward solutions. TheAtlas epitomizes this spirit of collaboration, but MIND’s otheractivities also illustrate what can be accomplished when non-traditional partners work togetherfor the common good.

ixEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“ If RANET lives up to its

full potential, it should

be stronger than tradi-

tional community radio

because it will have the

ability to download

information from the

satellite. ”

LORENZO NESTI, OXFAM

SPAIN/INTERMÓN

TOP: The floods in 2000 inundatedentire villages.

MIDDLE: The lower LimpopoBasin is virtually flat, so residentsevacuated their belongings to theonly high ground available, often in trees, and waited for rescue.

BOTTOM: Droughts and severewater shortages are very common throughout southernMozambique, especially in theLimpopo Basin.

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1THE FLOODS OF 2000:A TIME OF RECKONING

The year 2000 brought morethan the new millennium toMozambique; it also brought anearly and heavy rainy season, anda series of cyclones that dumpedunprecedented amounts of wateron Mozambique and upstreamin neighboring countries, fromwhence it flowed downstream tooverwhelm Mozambique’s south-ern and central river basins.Entire communities were inun-dated in the worst flooding in150 years.

More than 500,000 people inthe Limpopo Basin were displaced; 700 lost their lives.Damage and destruction ofhomes, schools, health clinics,roads, railways, irrigation sys-tems, electricity, water systems,and other infrastructure wereextensive and widespread.Macroeconomic losses were estimated at $600 million;Mozambique’s economic growth

rate declined from a projected 8-to-10 percent to 2 percent.

Many families who had losteverything during decades ofcivil war and had struggled torebuild since peace arrived in1992 lost everything again in the 2000 floods. Dramaticimages of people clinging to treetops as rescue boats circledand helicopters hovered were televised throughout the world.The mother who gave birth in atree and her baby, Rosita, cameto symbolize Mozambicans’resilience and tenacity. The inter-national community respondedgenerously to the Government of Mozambique’s appeal for help.

The United States Congressauthorized a $136 million sup-plemental appropriation forpost-flood reconstruction anddisaster mitigation, to be admin-istered by the United States

CHAPTER 1

THE FLOODS OF2000: A TIME OFRECKONING

2 THE FLOODS OF 2000:A TIME OF RECKONING

Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID). Most of the funds went towardrebuilding roads and infrastruc-ture. To help people get back ontheir feet, $10 million were distributed quickly to 106,280families as direct cash grants to female heads of household,and about $22 million were disbursed as loans to small busi-nesses and farmers.

USAID and officials inMozambique understood thatthe country would continue toface droughts, floods, andcyclones. An average of one tropical storm or cyclone, threeor four tropical disturbances, andone flood hit Mozambiqueannually. Over the last 20 years,an estimated 8 millionMozambicans have been affectedby natural disasters, setting backsustainable economic develop-ment significantly.

When the Limpopo began flood-ing in early 2000, peopleassumed that their usual copingstrategies would serve them.Historically, farmers have practiced flood plain recessionagriculture along the banks ofthe Limpopo and other majorrivers, which regularly overflowand nourish the soil. But theduration and magnitude of the2000 floods came as a surprise,and they were followed in 2001by further serious flooding alongthe Zambezi, the largest riverbasin in the country. How couldMozambique do a better job of predicting, preparing for, andliving with its weather?

The key was to strengthen thecountry’s ability to preventhuman and economic lossesthrough contingency planning,and disaster preparedness andmitigation.

USAID/Mozambique allocated$4.7 million to the four-yearMozambique IntegratedInformation Network forDecision-making (MIND) projectto reduce risk from natural hazards.The USAID Office of ForeignDisaster Assistance(USAID/DCHA/OFDA) alsocontributed funds to MIND.

MIND found a natural homewithin the Famine EarlyWarning System Network(FEWS NET) activity, which hasbeen working in southern Africasince the early 1990s to providetimely and accurate early warningand vulnerability information.Traditionally, FEWS NET hasfocused on food insecuritycaused by drought, which is aslow-onset disaster. MINDapplied the same approach topredict and prepare for cyclonesand floods — rapid-onset disasters with enormous potentialto affect food security and liveli-hoods. MIND monitoredremotely sensed, satellite, andground-based meteorologicaldata; bolstered them with on-site, real-time research; andstrengthened local early warningand response networks.

“ The 2000 floods woke

us up to the fact that

we had an institutional

framework that didn’t

work.There was no

code of conduct. People

didn’t know what to do

when the storms

struck. Now we have

identified the safest

places to go in case of

emergency. ”

FILIPE LÚCIO, DIRECTOR,

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF

METEOROLOGY (INAM)

3THE FLOODS OF 2000:A TIME OF RECKONING

FEWS NET’s participatoryframework and focus on net-works and coordination helpedMIND maximize it resourcesand those of its partners.Cooperating with the TechnicalSecretariat for Food Security(SETSAN), a multi-agency consortium led by Mozambique’sMinistry of Agriculture, MINDbuilt upon FEWS NET’s vulner-ability assessment methodology

to help map livelihood zones andlikely outcomes of potential disasters based on their severityand the coping strategies andresources of distinct livelihoodgroups. Through capacity-buildingsupport to SETSAN’s VulnerabilityAssessment Committee (VAC),MIND was able to address criticalinformation gaps in understandingthe impact of disasters.

LEFT:The fertile areas along theLimpopo River have two or threegrowing seasons per year but face significant flood risks.Thelivelihoods of people in thesezones are characterized as highrisk and high return.

RIGHT:The river is the centralfeature in nearly all livelihoods inthe Limpopo Basin. Areas awayfrom the river are semi-arid andvery sparsely populated.

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TOP: Brochures explaining theCyclone Early Warning Systemwere distributed to public schoolsas part of a continuous educationcampaign.

MIDDLE:Traditionally, drums wereused to sound the alarm where adisaster loomed. These traditionalsignals are being incorporatedinto the new Cyclone EarlyWarning System.

BOTTOM:At the Red Cross head-quarters in Nova Mambone in theGovuro District of Inhambane,young volunteers report river-levelreadings via radio to relevantauthorities.

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5RELIABLE DATA FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 2

RELIABLE DATAFOR DISASTERMANAGEMENT

The floods of 2000 and 2001showed that the Government ofMozambique was not fully pre-pared for large-scale disasters. Tolearn what would improve theemergency preparedness system,MIND staff interviewed peopleinvolved in the relief responses tothe Limpopo and Zambezifloods from national, provincial,and local government; UnitedNations agencies; donors; andnongovernmental organizations.MIND’s survey identified criticalinformation gaps that under-mined Mozambique’s ability tocope and contributed to damageand loss. For example:

• Accurate weather forecasting,information on flood risk, andclear messages about whatactions to take were not avail-able or arrived too late forpeople to mitigate losses.

• People didn’t trust the infor-mation they did receive.

Farmers had acted on earlierweather forecasts that hadproved to be false alarms and had suffered economicsetbacks.

• People got flood warnings, but did not believe that thefloods would be as bad as theywere or last as long as theydid. While households havecoping strategies for minorand moderate floods, theLimpopo floods of 2000 werebeyond anyone’s imaginationor memory.

• People didn’t know how tointerpret the information theydid receive because it wasgiven in technical terms, suchas “knots” to describe windspeeds and “moving south-west” rather than naming thetowns in the path of floodsand storms. Information wasnot specific enough and didn’t convey levels of risk.

“ Solid information

informs our decisions

on food aid.That’s why

the FEWS NET vulner-

ability assessments and

monthly reports are

invaluable.Without

data, we can’t do any-

thing.We justify our

requests for funding,

decide on interventions,

and base our recom-

mendations to USAID

and the World Food

Program on data. ”

SUZANNE POLAND,

USAID DEPUTY TEAM

LEADER FOR RURAL

INCOME GROWTH AND

FOOD FOR PEACE OFFICER

6 RELIABLE DATA FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

People didn’t know whether to hang on or run for theirlives.

• Previous assumptions werefalse. Areas that had beenabove floodwaters in 1977,the most serious flood olderadults could recall, wereregarded as high ground, andtherefore safe. Over the years,people had moved there, onlyto be inundated in 2000.

Repeatedly, MIND researchersheard that information crucialfor planning, mitigation, pre-paredness, response, and recoverywas inaccessible, inaccurate, contradictory, or missing. Much information existed insideand outside of Mozambique, but it was not available to peoplewho needed it. Maps used in rescue efforts were woefully outof date. Emergency respondersreported that they did not havethe names and coordinates ofaffected villages. In the 2001floods, rescuers could not locatesome tributaries of the Zambezion a map.

Data on rainfall, river levels, anddischarges from major dams werenot widely available because ofan inadequate national rainfallmeasurement grid and the smallnumber of river gauges.Information on the precise spatial extent of the flooding and

the vulnerability of affected populations was absent.

There was no single, officialsource of information on floodsor river systems. To remedy theseinformation and communicationsgaps, MIND proposed the Atlas for Disaster Preparedness andResponse in the Limpopo Basin. As a tool for disaster manage-ment, it would harness thepower of integrated informationto:

• Bring reliable data together;where information didn’t exist,MIND generated it.

• Disseminate data and infor-mation in real time directly tothose who needed it.

• Organize and present theinformation so that it is useful to people at every level of government, in inter-national development andrelief agencies, and in localcommunities.

• Present information by riverbasin rather than by adminis-trative units such as districtsand provinces.

7RELIABLE DATA FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

THE LIMPOPO BASIN WITHIN MOZAMBIQUE

Source: Atlas p. 27Within Mozambique, the LimpopoRiver Basin spans 16 districts,in which levels of social and eco-nomic development vary widely.MIND researchers examined various indicators of human welfare in each district: povertyprevalence, source of householdwater supply, type of sanitation,and radio ownership.

Source: Atlas coverThe Atlas brought together data on the hazards, resources, and livelihoods in the Limpopo Basin and pre-analyzed potential impacts of major disasters.

9NO ORDINARY ATLAS

CHAPTER 3

NO ORDINARYATLAS

The Atlas for Disaster Preparednessand Response in the LimpopoBasin is a groundbreaking work.It furnished a scientific basis formaking decisions about rescue,relief, resettlement, and plan-ning. It is a one-stop, authorita-tive source of recent data,research, analysis, and otherinformation relevant to floods,cyclones, and droughts. The Atlascombines maps and data fromthe Limpopo Basin on “traditional” topics (roads,schools, populations, soils) todraw detailed profiles of how different livelihood groupsobtain food and income, andscenarios of the impacts of various disasters on householdsand local economies.

Benefits arising from the processof creating the Atlas are as – ifnot more – important than thebook itself. The project builtlong-term human capacity forthe country, created linkages

between key institutions, andspurred demand for high-qualityinformation applicable to disastermanagement and national development.

PROCESS IS OUR MOSTIMPORTANT PRODUCTThe Atlas galvanized collaborators,fostered consensus, and inspiredcooperation. It brought to thetable more than 100 people fromgovernment agencies, interna-tional and nongovernmentalorganizations, and communitygroups and united them in acommon purpose: to reduceMozambique’s vulnerability tonatural disasters that impede sustainable economic develop-ment and threaten food security.The experience of the 2000 and2001 floods created urgency;everyone was motivated toimprove the nation’s ability torespond to emergencies.Collaborators had the political

“ The Atlas was a turning

point. It cast a wider

net. It aimed to reach

more users and to

change the ingrained,

‘constant emergency’

mentality in

Mozambique. ”

CHRISTINE DE VOEST,

USAID, MIND CTO AND

RURAL INCOME GROWTH

TEAM LEADER

10 NO ORDINARY ATLAS

will. The Atlas provided the wayand catalyzed a participatoryprocess that embodied and supported democratization inMozambique.

Working on the Atlas establishedfirm partnerships among theinstitutions that contributed toit. Early on, MIND initiated apartnership with EduardoMondlane University (UEM)and the National Institute forDisaster Management (INGC).MIND supplied the latest technology — computers andgeographic information systems(GIS) software — and trained acadre of committed, talentedMozambican professionals to usethese tools.

Within a few years, the nationwent from having zero GIScapacity to a fully equipped GISlab and an academic program inthe geography department ofUEM. Professors, students, andstaff of the institutional partners,none of whom had had the ability to produce even simplemaps before, created nearly 100 maps for the Atlas. The U.S. Geological Survey andGeographic InformationManagement Systems gave technical support.

The emerging cartographerslearned by doing. In addition togathering and verifying existingdata in Maputo, research teamsdrove more than 10,000 kilo-

Students use data from the Atlasas part of their coursework.

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meters, taking geographic posi-tioning readings of roads, villages, schools, and clinics. Inaddition, vulnerability assess-ment teams visited communitiesin the Limpopo Basin to under-stand how households live andcope with periodic shocks and todesignate livelihood zones, whichare geographic areas where peo-ple are subject to similar hazardsand share common options andstrategies for obtaining food andcash income. MIND analyzedinformation on the physical andhuman characteristics of theLimpopo Basin, developed scenarios of hazards and theirpotential impacts, and entered thisinformation into the Atlas database.

The project engendered a con-tinuous learning environment forand within affiliated organizations.These educational and capacity-building accomplishments wereexplicit goals of the MIND

project. But the Atlas alsoinspired a cascade of unanticipatedbenefits that touched the heartsand changed the minds of thosewho collaborated to pull thebook together. In the course ofcooperating to produce the Atlas,those who worked on it forgedprofessional relationships andinstitutional networks that hadnot existed before and thatspanned the national, provincial,administrative post, and community levels.

BUILDING QUALITYINFORMATION FORDISASTERS ANDDEVELOPMENTThe Atlas is important for tech-nical and political reasons.Planners and public officials useit to avoid repeating mistakes.

Community authorities use it tosupport difficult decisions, suchas relocating families to safe areas

Researchers traveled around the Limpopo Basin to gather information for the Atlas.

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rather than allowing resettlementin high-risk locations. The Atlasestablishes and perpetuates insti-tutional memory, which helpsbridge political transitions andchanges in personnel.

AN ATLAS ON EVERY DESKThe Atlas presents a completepicture of the impact of the lastfloods. Its solid documentationof events and synthesis of infor-mation make it a record to consultwith confidence. It is part ofMozambique’s collective memoryof the floods, an educationalinstrument that guaranteesadministrators and planners havea baseline against which to assessfuture events. Its uses extend far

beyond disaster planning. It isused in various assessments bydevelopment agencies and privatecompanies. Schools use it as a text.Mozambican and internationalresearchers draw on it for manytypes of analyses and studies.The MIND project and the Atlas helped make vulnerability a factor in the national dialogue.Since 2003, the concept of vulnerability has been includedin at least three strategic short-and long-term planning docu-ments. Vulnerability had notbeen not emphasized in thepreparation of the 2000-2005and 2005-2009 strategic plans,but “the Atlas helped make itimportant,” according to SilvanoLanga, national director of INGC.

“ People forget and

rebuild in the same

spots. [The Atlas] will

keep us from going

backwards. ”

MARIO UBISSE,

HEAD OF THE NATIONAL

EARLY WARNING UNIT,

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

Representatives from USAID,MIND, and INGC listen to the rector of Eduardo MondlaneUniversity describe the benefits of the new GIS lab during theopening ceremony.

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The 2004 constitution includeda component on emergencyresponse for the first time.

The Atlas has international usesas well. Malawi, Zambia, andAngola sent delegations toMozambique to learn how it wasprepared. South Africa, theregional powerhouse, invitedMozambique to share its experi-ence in developing the Atlas andincorporated the Atlas into its

own Internet-based vulnerabilityatlas. Embassies in Brussels andParis refer to the Atlas to answerrequests for information onMozambique. When the newU.S. ambassador to Mozambiqueasked about disaster preparednessand progress since 2000, MINDstaff realized that many embassypersonnel had not been inMozambique during the floods.The Atlas can serve as theirintroduction to the country.

“ FEWS NET MIND

brought focus to many

organizations.They

worked together with

an unprecedented level

of cooperation. MIND

created networks of key

qualified Mozambicans

at all different levels to

contribute to the

knowledge pool, includ-

ing those that had not

contributed before. This

will be the long-term

legacy of the MIND

project. ”

SIDNEY BLISS,

USAID NGO FOOD

SECURITY LIAISON

MIND’s staff meteorologist had to stretch to reach the high-watermark in Jofane; the ruler on the building is a constant reminder of flood risk.

13NO ORDINARY ATLAS

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SUCCESS STORIESOn-the-Job Training in GIS

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Sérgio Maló (top) and José Rafael (bottom)realized professional goals through theMIND project that advanced their individual careers and enriched UEM’sgeography program.

At Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), MIND supplied equipmentand technical assistance that transformed the lives of students and pro-fessors alike. MIND offered professional opportunities to many of thepeople in the geographical information systems (GIS) program, whichliterally made careers and allowed talented people to rise to the top.

In 2001, when Sérgio Maló was a geography student at UEM, he begana six-month internship at MIND that changed his life.Without the Atlas,he might have been teaching geographic theory instead of using his GISskills to aid in Mozambique’s development. At 30, he has been involvedwith the project for five years, mapping livelihood zones, entering dataon access to food, risks, and sources of income, and creating many ofthe Atlas’ other maps.

“I am very proud of the Atlas. I went to every district in the LimpopoBasin to publicize it,” he said. His enthusiasm and talent made him standout. First, the university hired him to teach GIS courses, using the Atlasas a text. Next, the World Food Program hired him, and then UN-HABITAT. His career exploding with promise, he is thinking of applyingfor a Fulbright scholarship. Studying disaster management abroad isattractive, but in other countries, he noted, “you study other disasters,not ours. I want to work on something close to our reality.”

For José Rafael, head of UEM’s GIS lab and coordinator of cartographyfor the Atlas, MIND helped realize huge improvements in his depart-ment. “When this lab was founded, the university was in the midst of reviewing its programs and creating new curriculums. I had beenlooking for funding to start a GIS lab, and MIND was the answer to mysearch.We always had a big problem doing research before,” he said.“We had no computers and couldn’t process information or producedigital maps. Now we can do all of that.”

The primary purpose of the GIS laboratory is to teach students, hestressed. “Our work was very theoretical before.With the laboratory,we had the opportunity to put theory into practice. Our students don’thave theoretical knowledge alone.They can do useful, practical work onthe real problems of the country.”

The program started with three hand-picked students (including SérgioMaló) and has since increased to 20 per year. Ten to 12 students willgraduate from the GIS program in 2005. Rafael’s affiliation with MINDspurred him to further his own education. “I went to South Africa formy master’s degree to study GIS.This has enriched not just me, Rafael,but also my role as a UEM professor. It enabled me and the departmentto have an international profile, to exchange ideas. ”


15NO ORDINARY ATLAS

One of the most powerful bene-fits of the Atlas may be the leasttangible: pride. Everyone associ-ated with it feels ownership of it.This beautiful book has con-tributed substantially toMozambique’s disaster prepared-ness and changed perceptionsabout Mozambican capacity,especially among Mozambicans.According to José Rafael, a pro-fessor in the geography depart-ment of Eduardo Mondlane

University and coordinator ofcartography for the Atlas, “Whenpeople first saw the Atlas, theysaid it couldn’t have been donein Mozambique. They didn’tbelieve it.” But attitudes arechanging. Now people fromother countries are coming toMozambique for assistance. AndMozambique, so often labeledone of the poorest countries inAfrica, has much to share.

The first three chapters profile weather, geography, andsocioeconomic conditions in Mozambique; Chapter 4analyzes the information presented in Chapters 1through 3 to show the consequences of variousdisasters and predict outcomes by region.

Hazard Characterization. Droughts, floods, andcyclones affect Mozambique and the Limpopo Basin.Descriptions of each hazard cite the number of eventsand people affected over the last 20 years.

The Geographic Baseline. The longest chapter inthe Atlas covers regional climate, international riversystems, and average rainfall and gives an in-depthportrait of the Limpopo Basin, including geology, soilwater-holding capacity, national parks and conservationareas, and land cover. A section on the portion of theLimpopo Basin within Mozambique highlights theprovinces and districts the basin straddles and offers ademographic analysis, including population density,housing types, transportation, infrastructure, communi-cations, and levels of poverty and radio ownership.

The Livelihoods Baseline. This chapter describeseach of the four livelihood zones in the Limpopo Basin,including access to food and cash by different wealthgroups. Livelihood-based vulnerability analysis is essentialbecause it identifies what household types will be mostaffected by which shocks.This information can be usedto reduce risk, minimize the cost of emergencies, andmaximize the benefits of development.

The Scenarios. Using risk-outcome analysis, thischapter answers the question “What would happen

if…?” for floods, cyclones, and droughts of varyingseverity levels for each livelihood zone.The scenarioscombine data on a zone’s resources and vulnerabilityto generate action-oriented information for planningand mitigation efforts. Each scenario demonstrateshow a hazard of a given magnitude might affect thebasin in a particular place and time, suggests whichpeople will require the most assistance, and lists thequestions that must be posed in the immediateaftermath of a disaster and during the period ofeconomic and agricultural recovery.

The Flood scenario illustrates how elevation maps,rainfall estimates, river level measurements, andforecast flow rates are used to predict potential floodsand describes the three flood early-warning levelsdeveloped by Mozambique’s Southern Regional WaterAdministration (ARA-Sul), INAM, and USGS/MIND.

The Cyclone scenario describes the early warningsystem established by INAM, INGC, and MIND toalert communities that a storm is coming. Illustrationsshow the widely publicized color-coded system thattells how soon a storm will arrive and its severity.

The Drought scenario analyzes the spiral ofconsequences of regular, prolonged droughts, beginningwith detection through use of satellite imagery,assessment of production losses, evaluation of copingcapacity among households of different wealth levels,and the impact of response and recovery efforts onhuman health, nutrition, and livelihoods.

WHAT’S IN THE ATLAS?


WHAT MAKES THIS ATLAS SPECIAL?All information in the Atlas isuseful in emergencies; this wasthe main criterion for selectingcontent. Major partners, regionaldisaster specialists, geographers,cartographers, hydrologists, spatial analysts, and experts inGIS, remote sensing, and vulner-ability and livelihood assessmentconvened and agreed that theAtlas would consist of four chapters (see box, p.15).

One of the highlights of the Atlasis the way it harnesses GIS toallow users to store, organize,and manipulate different types ofdata and represent them spatiallyin map form. Visual presentationof these data, and the possibilityof layering one kind of data overothers, conveys a wealth of infor-mation in an instant. Imagine amap of inundated areas on whicha map of towns and settlements issuperimposed. Population centersunder water can be identified ata glance. Overlay a map of healthclinics, and the level of medicalassistance necessary in an emer-gency becomes apparent. Do thesame with a map of areas undercultivation, and a quick evaluationof lost harvests can inform the needfor food assistance. Such analysescan be done in minutes, savingprecious time in an emergency.

FORMATS FOR MANY USERSThe Atlas was designed and produced in four formats toserve as many users as possible.

The baseline data and the analyses are the foundation forall of these products.

• Print. The hard copy, issued in November 2003, was thefirst of the four distinct butrelated products of the MINDproject. Its many maps, charts, and graphs display anartist’s attention to color and composition.

• Interactive digital version.The entire content of theprint version, plus additionalinformation, is available on CD.(A PDF version is on the CDthat accompanies this report).Text and maps from the Atlascan be viewed, cut, and pastedinto other documents. Thedigital version features simpleinteractive functions. Userswith minimal technical skillscan customize maps from Atlasdata or create new ones.

• Full database. For moresophisticated technical users,the CD contains a completedatabase and files of originalAtlas research, which can be used for many mappingapplications.

• Internet/real time version.The Atlas is available on theInternet through the TechnicalSecretariat for Food Securityand Nutrition (SETSAN) atwww.setsan.org.mz. This version is accessible worldwideand allows data updates andanalyses during an emergency.

“ The Atlas is considered

an extremely useful

tool by the Southern

Regional Water

Administration, the

Department of

Agriculture, and urban

housing planners. Its

preparation enabled

my institution to make

great gains since 2000.

It raised our conscious-

ness that we have to

learn to live with risk.

I would like to have it

replicated for all the

other river basins. ”

SILVANO LANGA, DIRECTOR,

NATIONAL DISASTER

MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

(INGC)

In November 2003, thePortuguese and English versionsof the Atlas were officiallylaunched in print and interactivedigital form in Maputo and Xai-Xai, a town at the mouth of theLimpopo River hard hit by thefloods. The foreign minister ofMozambique sent congratula-tions, saying the work was “of great value” to the country.Teams of representatives fromMIND, INGC, and UEM visited all 11 districts in theLimpopo Basin to introduce

and distribute paper and digitalcopies of the Atlas and to leavelarge, laminated, wall-size mapsat municipal offices, schools, and clinics. Workshops in eachlocale familiarized district government officials, heads ofadministrative posts, members of provincial and local emergency planning agencies,and community leaders with the Atlas, explaining why andhow it was produced anddemonstrating how to use it fordisaster planning.

“ Mozambicans are now

equal to their counter-

parts in other countries.

They increasingly

attend multinational

forums, and their

reports bubble to the

top as the best work.

The Mozambique

delegations are no

longer the weakest link

or the poor country

cousin.They have expe-

rienced competence,

and their success feeds

their capacity. ”

SIDNEY BLISS,

USAID, NGO FOOD

SECURITY LIAISON

Source: Atlas p. 65MIND created district maps,showing the exact locations of villages, health facilities, schools,roads, and suspected mine areas.MIND partners distributed wall-sized copies of these maps to localauthorities, many of whom hadonly handdrawn maps of their districts before.

17NO ORDINARY ATLAS

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In ARA-Sul’s river modeling center, Rodrigues Dezanove predicts whichareas will flood and sends bulletins directly to government agencies,NGOs, and the media.

19THE FLOOD AND CYCLONE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

CHAPTER 4

THE FLOOD AND CYCLONEEARLY WARNINGSYSTEMS

Though sometimes related,floods and cyclones are differentevents requiring distinct earlywarning systems. Both systemsdepend on data collection andanalysis, and on dissemination ofurgent information to vulnerablecommunities. MIND worked to improve the information side,as well as the critically importantcommunication side, of the preparedness equation.

To strengthen data collectionand analysis for the two earlywarning systems, MIND workedclosely with the technical agen-cies responsible for monitoringfloods and cyclones — theregional water authorities (ARAs)and INAM.

FLOOD EARLY WARNINGSYSTEMWith the support of a USGStechnical expert assigned toMIND, ARA-Sul staff built river

modeling software around thecharacteristics of the LimpopoBasin. MIND funded equipmentto measure river levels, radios tospeed communication of infor-mation from upstream to down-stream, and computer and GISfacilities to analyze data.

ARA-Sul generates flood warningsfor specific locations through ariver modeling program thatoverlays satellite data on currentand forecast rainfall with theAtlas’ baseline information onland cover, evaporation, eleva-tion, soil characteristics, andwater penetration level. Satelliterainfall estimates are also com-pared to rainfall measurementsfrom ground stations. It takesonly 20 minutes to run themodel and get the results. Thecomputer automatically producesinundation maps and a list ofcommunities that should receivefirst-, second-, and third-level

“ In 2000, we couldn’t tell

where the floods would

occur. Now we can. ”

RODRIGUES DEZANOVE,

ARA-SUL

20 THE FLOOD AND CYCLONE EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

alerts. Warnings are transmittedimmediately via high-frequencyradio to government agencies atall levels; nongovernmental andcivic organizations, such as theRed Cross; and radio, television,and newspapers.

ARA-Sul has adapted andapplied the flood model to theIncomati, Maputo, andUmbeluzi river basins and istraining personnel from ARA-Centro, MIND’s major partnerin flood early warning work inthe Save River Basin, whereMIND provided equipment toimprove flood monitoring alongthe site of very serious floodingin 2000 and 2001.

CYCLONE EARLYWARNING SYSTEM (CEWS)Though more than 5 millionMozambicans live in high-riskcyclone zones, there was no sys-tem in place to receive cycloneinformation and transmit it tocommunities in the path of astorm. MIND hired the formerdirector of meteorology forWestern Australia, an expert oncyclone early warning systems, tocollaborate with INAM andMIND’s meteorologist onCEWS. The team traveled tocommunities most vulnerable tocyclones to consult residents andassess probable cyclone damagebased on local housing construc-tion and vegetation patterns.

“ The very first year of

the cyclone early warn-

ing system, the color

codes were broadcast

on television. Cyclones

that year did not result

in loss of life. People lost

homes and fields, but

not their lives. ”

SUZANNE POLAND,

DEPUTY TEAM LEADER

FOR RURAL INCOME

GROWTH AND FOOD FOR

PEACE OFFICER

LEFT: INAM’s ability to trackcyclones before they hitMozambique’s coast was greatlyimproved through important technical upgrades, like this radarstation in Xai-Xai in 2004.

RIGHT:When INAM trackscyclones through radar and satel-lite, information is conveyed tolocal officials who hoist the appropriate color CEWS flag.

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MIND then created a color-coded alert system with numericalrankings to indicate storm severity.With support from MIND, aworking group of more than 14agencies from government andcivil society developed coloredflags, posters, brochures, andother educational materials andmade them freely available forany organization to reproduceand distribute. PublicizingCEWS through the schools is along-term process that will continue until all children arebrought up with the system andall remote communities havebeen reached.

Implementation involved manypartners, including theMinistries of Education andState Administration; INGC andINAM; the Mozambican RedCross and other civil societyorganizations; and the media.INAM launched the new systemin November 2002. All of theseason’s cyclones were trackedusing the new system, and by theend of the season, INAM,INGC, and the press were allquoting the coding system devel-oped with MIND support.International donors and non-governmental agencies have beenindispensable in disseminatingthe system at the local level.GTZ, the German developmentagency, has worked with com-munities in the Búzi District,including a full simulation of acyclone event to test CEWS. TheMozambican Red Cross has fullyintegrated CEWS into its disasterpreparedness activities and hastrained its volunteers around the

country. Action Aid in Pebaneand Oxfam in Govuro have builtCEWS into their risk-reductionactivities. DFID, the Britishdevelopment agency, and UN-HABITAT have producedinstructional card games andother learning materials for chil-dren based on the CEWS andinformation in the Atlas.

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUTThe most important feature ofcyclone and flood early warningsystems is communicating tovulnerable communities.Mozambique did not have theefficient communications systemsrequired for timely emergencyalerts. Although the technicalagencies can now track cyclonesvia satellite and radar due torecent technical upgrades, com-munities about to be hit by acyclone or flood are oftenunaware of its existence, especiallyin Mozambique, where isolation,illiteracy, and poor communica-tions are common.

MIND commissioned a study tolearn how early-alert efforts hadworked during the floods of2000 and to identify specificmeasures to improve them. Thisresearch confirmed that radiowas the overwhelming source offlood warnings to at-risk popula-tions. The report revealed that95 percent of people interviewedin four districts of Gaza Provincehad received advance warning ofthe floods. Almost 45 percentlearned of the floods by radio,and 25 percent were informed by


“ There is strong univer-

sal support for the new

tropical cyclone warning

system. . . Community

leaders had a good

understanding of [it].

Many of them had

received training from

aid agencies, and [were]

passing their knowledge

down to villages and

communities. ”

LEONARD BROADBRIDGE,

FORMER DIRECTOR OF

METEOROLOGY FOR

WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND

MIND CONSULTANT,

AFTER A VISIT IN 2004 TO

EVALUATE THE CEWS


neighbors or local organizationsthat had gotten the news byradio. The pivotal role of radioin the early warning process wasemphasized repeatedly.

MIND diagnostics following the2000 and 2001 floods alsorevealed that warning messageshad lacked timeliness, detail, andclarity, so that final users eitherdid not get accurate informationsoon enough to act on it or didnot know what to do with theinformation they got. Toimprove the content and clarityof media reports, journalistsreceived MIND training on disaster topics. The distinctionbetween message disseminationand communication is important.Dissemination refers to the simple provision of information;communication refers to sharingthe meaning.

During the 2000 and 2001floods, the media did a reason-able job of disseminating thewarning messages received fromtechnical bodies, but journalists’ability to communicate themeaning of those messages waslimited. The media often reportedhow many millimeters of rainfell, or the depth of rivers atgiven points, or the latitude andlongitude of a cyclone. But thistechnical information meant little to most users, whether theywere decision makers in Maputoor vulnerable villagers livingalong a river.

MIND realized that journalistswere the primary interpreters ofdisaster information, as well as

providers of education to thepublic about the early warningsystems. The 2000 and 2001experiences had made it clearthat reporters did not know howto translate technical informa-tion for the public. MINDorganized a study tour for fourreporters to the Cahora Bassahydroelectric dam, and to theannual South Africa RegionalConference Outlook Forummeeting in Malawi. In all, four-teen Mozambicans, including thejournalists, attended the forum,which covered technical back-ground so journalists could conveythe meaning of rainfall and climate forecasts. Because theregional meeting was conductedonly in English, MIND spon-sored simultaneous translation tobenefit the entire delegation. A number of articles and radiopieces resulted.

WORKSHOPS ONREPORTING WEATHERBack in Mozambique, MINDsponsored a weeklong course for15 radio journalists and commu-nications officials at technicalagencies involved in disastermanagement (DNA, INAM,INGC, ARA-Sul, and ARA-Centro). The workshop intro-duced attendees to technical topics; in a breakout session,journalists practiced reporting on weather-related emergencies.Several media organizations latersubmitted proposals to MIND toproduce special programming onclimatic disasters for local radio.

MIND supported production ofmany educational series for

OPPOSITE PAGE:Source: Atlas p. 11Posters hung in prominentplaces in the community explainthe two parts of the new CEWS:the color coding, indicating theamount of time until the cyclonemakes landfall; and the numericalalerts, indicating the intensity ofthe cyclone. Posters weredesigned to be understood byilliterate or semi-literate ruralcommunities.


radio. Radio Mozambique inZambézia Province aired 20 pro-grams in Portuguese, Chuabo,and Lomué over a five-monthperiod. The programs explainedbasic climate concepts and thenew cyclone classification sys-tem. In Tete Province, the localmedia association produced 15educational programs aimed atreducing vulnerability amongpeople living in disaster-proneareas. The programs, broadcastin Portuguese, Nyanja, andNyungue, included informationon procedures during and afteremergency situations, and onalternative sources of food avail-able in parts of the provinceaffected by drought.

In Sofala Province, Comunitário,an association of journalists, produced 10 radio programs incollaboration with RadioMozambique, which broadcastthem over a two-month periodin Portuguese and Ndau for

Machanga and Govuro Districts.In addition to building a cultureof listening to the radio for earlywarning information, the pro-grams targeted children andcommunity activists. The broad-casts introduced climate conceptsand CEWS and promoteddebates on disaster issues.

RADIO IS KINGDespite dependence on radio forinformation in rural areas, radioownership levels in Mozambiqueare very low. Poverty and weakmarketing networks make batteriesdifficult to obtain for householdsthat own radios. In remote ruralsettings particularly, wind-upand solar-powered devices offerdistinct advantages.

To find ways to bridge the gapbetween radio dependence andownership, MIND conducted aone-day workshop in July 2001that examined experiences withFreeplay radios, which don’t

“ RANET will ensure that

information reaches

remote rural communi-

ties. It really transforms

the way we do business.

It is a very powerful

tool to educate the

public. ”

FILIPE LÚCIO, DIRECTOR,

INAM

An old man cradles the new model of Freeplay radio,distributed by the Mozambican Red Cross with support from MIND.

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“ RANET will ensure that

information reaches

remote rural communi-

ties. It really transforms

the way we do business.

It is a very powerful

tool to educate the

public. ”

FILIPE LÚCIO,

DIRECTOR, INAM

“ If RANET lives up to its

full potential, it should

be stronger than tradi-

tional community radio

because it will have the

ability to download

information from the

satellite. ”

LORENZO NESTI,

OXFAM SPAIN/INTERMÓN

The Mozambican Red Cross,MIND’s partner among firstresponders, helped prioritizewhich locations and individualsshould receive Freeplay radios.

require batteries and are poweredby manual winding or solar panels.Experts from all relevant sectorsattended the workshop andstrongly endorsed the use ofFreeplay radios for early warningin Mozambique.

MIND immediately ordered1,800 self-powered radios, whichwere manufactured in CapeTown to MIND specifications(with USAID logo andPortuguese text embedded in thecasing) and imported duty-freeinto Mozambique. MIND alsosigned an agreement with theMozambican Red Cross to assistwith distribution and to ensurethat the radios reached benefici-aries before the 2001 rainy seasonbegan in November. To identifythe 75 communities that received

the radios, MIND reviewedrecords on floods and cyclones todetermine the locations and frequency of each type of disaster.The Red Cross list of prioritydistricts for disaster preparednessactivities corroborated whichlocations were most in need.

MIND worked with the RedCross and a local artist to designposters on how to operate theradios and how to use them fordisaster early warning.Traditional leaders and RedCross volunteers selected theradios’ guardians, who are influen-tial members of the community.They signed an agreement pledging to use the radios for thepublic good, not for personalbenefit. MIND carefully oversawdistribution at the district level.


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SUCCESS STORYThe Lady of the Radio

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Gina Antonio (top), shown here with herthree year old daughter, and an older family member (bottom) stand ready toalert neighbors in case of a storm.

“We heard the news on Radio Mozambique, as did the fishermen, whocame to collect people,” Gina Antonio recalled. “No one imagined that itwould be like that. No one knew exactly what to do.We had seawaterentering the house as well as water from the river — it came up to thewindows. I put the children on the table.We sheltered anyone whoneeded it, as if they were family.”

Gina is a Red Cross activist and community leader in Nova Mambonewho has been chosen to be the keeper of the Freeplay radio. Eachrecipient signs an agreement guaranteeing the safety of the radio andpromising to use it for the good of the community, not for personalbenefit. Gina is responsible for listening to the radio regularly for impor-tant news, transmitting emergency alerts to a five-member emergencypreparedness group, and rousing her neighbors. Several people in thecore group are entrusted with keys to the storage areas where the RedCross has stockpiled emergency rescue and relief supplies; all springinto action when an emergency looms.

Gina also has a kit with blue, yellow, and red cyclone warning flags pro-vided by MIND, which she will raise to indicate how much time there isbefore a storm strikes. She or a family member might hop on a bicycleto circulate throughout the community, waving the flag and blowing awhistle, to tell the neighbors to spread the word. At night or in veryremote areas where the flag may not be visible even in a high tree, thealert system relies on traditional means of communication, such as aram’s horn or drums beating a special rhythm to let people know that a natural disaster is approaching. Using a combination of the latest insatellite and radio technologies, drums, and an organized communitygrapevine to spread the word, Nova Mambone has put the early warningsystems in place, identified gathering points on high ground, and distributed disaster preparedness kits.

Prevent, don’t just react.That philosophy drives Gina and other citizensof Nova Mambone to make the flood and cyclone early warning systems part of daily life.



MIND continuously evaluatedthe radio distribution program.After the first round of evalua-tions reported high levels ofbreakage, MIND investigatedthe situation in InhambaneProvince. Local radio technicianstrained under MIND were doing a good job fixing smallproblems, but they lacked thespare parts to complete manyrepairs. In 2004, Freeplayapproached MIND to help distribute new, improved radios,redesigned to correct the break-age problems identified earlier.The Mozambican Red Cross isthe direct recipient of theseimproved radios, donated byVODACOM, a cell phone company. The new radios arebeing distributed in the Save

River Basin and elsewhere as partof the early warning system.

UPGRADINGTECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVECOMMUNICATIONWhat happened in NovaMambone, a town at the mouthof the Save River in the GovuroDistrict of Inhambane Province,illustrates how inadequate com-munications slowed the transmis-sion of crucial warnings. Underthe system in effect during thefloods, valuable time was lostrelaying weather warnings along aconvoluted bureaucratic hierarchy.Word came too late of the accu-mulating wave of water travelingdown the Save River and the largesurge of seawater from cycloneEline that traveled upstream.

MIND and its partners producedand distributed posters describingthe duties of the radio keepers:maintain the radio in good repair,listen to it regularly for informa-tion, follow the progress of storms,and spread the word to everyone.Once alerted by the radio, mem-bers of early warning committeesraise flags and circulate in thecommunity to inform neighbors.Cartoon illustrations convey thisinformation even to people whocan’t read.


Since then, MIND has supportedefforts to reroute messages effi-ciently to concerned agencies andrescue organizations, and immedi-ately to affected communitiesusing radio and satellite.

MIND rehabilitated the monitor-ing and communication systemalong the Save River from thepoint where it enters Mozambiqueto the mouth of the river at NovaMambone. MIND installed achain of monitoring stations alongthe Save River that measure waterlevels three times a day and pro-vided a high-frequency radio toARA-Centro to receive this infor-mation. The radio is housed inthe Red Cross office in NovaMambone. Data from upstream is no longer relayed through acentralized reporting chain, but isavailable immediately to theappropriate agencies and firstresponders in the areas about tobe affected.

In addition, MIND is supportingthe creation of RANET stationsin Mozambique, which will helpget information to vulnerablecommunities before a disasterstrikes and also provide a tool forcommunity education in non-disaster times. RANET is a globalinitiative, with funding from theNational Oceanic andAtmospheric Agency (NOAA)and USAID/DCHA/OFDA,among others, that combinesradio and Internet technologies toprovide real-time information toremote communities on climateand other issues. RANET allowscommunities to receive urgentinformation about their local area

via direct satellite linkages – evenwhen there is no electricity – andprovides them with the means tobroadcast this information over a30 square-kilometer area. Theradio broadcasts can be receivedon Freeplay or conventional FM radios.

MIND worked with INAM onthe development of RANET inMozambique and funded two fullRANET stations. One will beplaced in Nova Mambone as partof the improvements to earlywarning in the Save River Basin.The second will be placed inPebane District in ZambéziaProvince, a heavily populatedarea with very poor communica-tions and high cyclone risk.Once RANET is operational,INAM can transmit flood andcyclone warnings directly tocommunity radio stations,bypassing intermediaries in thereporting hierarchy that delay analert. RANET functions like anormal community radio station,with the added capacity forreceiving urgent data via satellite.Using the same equipment, communities can broadcast programs of local interest in local languages, as well as receive educational and informationalprogramming from other radioservices.

“ A moderate tropical

cyclone can mean

different things to

different people.A

storm might produce

severe damage to a

palhota (traditional

mud house with a

thatched roof), but not

harm a sturdier house

at all. Using the color-

coded warning system,

MIND associated specific

wind speeds with their

real impact on specific

neighborhoods. ”

FILIPE LÚCIO,

DIRECTOR, INAM


MOZAMBIQUESave River

Nova Mambone is a small,

remote community

located more than 330 km

from Inhambane, the

provincial capital.

Although Beira is closer,

warning messages passed

through Inhambane and

Maputo, which wasted

time and resulted in

transmission of irrelevant

information. RANET and

point-to-point radio com-

munications along the

river will help warn com-

munities at the mouth of

the Save River before a

disaster strikes.

Beira

Nova Mambone

Maputo

Inhambane

MO

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SUCCESS STORYNever Again Will People Be Taken by Surprise

For José Mucote, founder and leader ofAJOAGO, the great floods of 2000-2001were a turning point that defined his life’s work.

José Mucote remembers where he was when the floods hit NovaMambone, in Govuro District at the mouth of the Save River. It wasnight, he felt the house tremble and heard the water roar as it rushed in.

When the wave came downstream from Zimbabwe, it accumulatedalong the river, and submerged the city suddenly. He was 19 and still inschool at that defining moment.

“We were all victims of the calamity,” he said.The experience gave himthe idea for AJOAGO (Associação de Jovens e Amigos de Govuro), aclub for young people who wanted to make a difference. He soughtpartnerships with nongovernmental organizations and convinced a fewadults to back him. At first, José worked from an office in his bedroom.Five years later, AJOAGO is the most vibrant grassroots organization intown, with a brand new headquarters. Near it are 10 of the 45cyclone-proof houses AJOAGO built for families who lost everything inthe flood, each with a small, experimental plot to grow food.

AJOAGO was formally founded in January 2001 as a pilot project funded by Intermón, the Spanish arm of Oxfam.The World FoodProgram asked AJOAGO to plan and administer a food distributionprogram. But very quickly, José changed strategy. Instead of distributingfood, he motivated farmers to plant drought-resistant crops.With theexception of children, old people, and others who couldn’t work,José distributed food only to those who participated in the experi-mental community garden project.

“We want to be active participants in society, not passive recipients offood,” he said. “Our goal is to deal with disasters locally, without havingto depend exclusively on international donors.We want to educatesociety to live with floods and to reduce the damage they cause.”

José’s ability to realize big dreams made AJOAGO an ideal partner toimplement MIND’s early warning systems in Govuro District. He per-sonally delivers training on the cyclone early warning system in publicschools so that children know what to do and can tell their families.

What excites José most is Nova Mambone’s RANET/community radiostation, to be housed at AJOAGO. Members of AJOAGO will learn toproduce and broadcast the programs, donating their time and labor.MIND purchased radio equipment capable of receiving weather alertsor other urgent information by satellite. In normal times, it will functionas a community radio station. It will hook into community radio, whichwill give people a chance to share information on topics of local interest.Anyone can propose and produce a program, and everyone canexpress their opinions.The radio station will be owned by the community,which will establish editorial policies and positions.


“We want to use community radio to create patriotism and a sense ofcitizenship,” José said. “Democracy is very new to Mozambique, and wewant to cultivate democratic expectations.We want to have open discussions about important issues, such as how our cultural habitsmight contribute to the spread of AIDS.”

Community radio will serve many purposes when no natural emergenciesthreaten. But José has not forgotten its primary mission. It will receivenews from Radio Mozambique and information directly from the RedCross and ARA-Centro high-frequency radios along the Save River thatreport river levels three times daily.When RANET is fully operational,Nova Mambone will get information about weather events directly viasatellite. In case of emergency, this will save time — and lives.

“Radio will change everything,” José said. “We will know about the danger two or three days before it arrives in Nova Mambone.We willalways be prepared.”

AJOAGO’s brand new building (top) willhouse new equipment (bottom) to receiveRANET information and broadcast community-centered programming.

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TOP: Community leaders andlocal government representativesdiscuss ways to improve earlywarning systems in the Save River Basin.

BOTTOM:Teams from SETSAN'sVulnerability AssessmentCommittee (VAC) talk withwomen in rural communities tofind out how they respond toshocks such as droughts, floods,and cyclones.

33BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

CHAPTER 5

BRINGING PEOPLETOGETHER MIND achieved significantprogress in four years by catalyzingpeople around a common goal to form partnerships, identifyproblems, and work togethertoward solutions. The Atlasepitomizes this spirit of collabo-ration, but other activities alsoillustrate what can be accom-plished by working togethertoward a common goal — evenamong nontraditional partners.

FOOD SECURITYPARTNERS BANDTOGETHER AT SETSANFood security is a major chal-lenge in Mozambique: Nearlyhalf of the population is chroni-cally undernourished. The tradi-tional focus of the FEWS NETproject has been on food security,vulnerability assessment, anddrought early warning, and theseactivities continued inMozambique, along with theexpanded focus on floods andcyclones. The Government ofMozambique had created aTechnical Secretariat for FoodSecurity and Nutrition (SET-SAN) to coordinate the manyagencies working on ending

hunger as part of its national foodsecurity strategy and in responseto the 1997 World FoodSummit. But SETSAN had lan-guished in the intervening years,and coordination among themany players was relatively weak.

In 2003, MIND staff began col-laboration on food security with aFood and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations (FAO)project designed to supportSETSAN. Staff from the twoprojects set up a joint office andinitiated discussions with govern-ment and other partners. Thenational agricultural researchinstitute provided office space,and government food securitystaff soon joined, followed byGTZ and the United NationsDevelopment Program (UNDP).

In less than two years, SETSANhas become a national hub offood security work inMozambique. SETSAN partnersshare infrastructure, networks,and a Web site. SETSAN operatesthrough working groups, whichconvene as needed to address aspecific topic or issue. The best

“ Disasters are not the

necessary outcome of a

hazard. . . Droughts,

floods, or cyclones only

become disasters if the

necessary vulnerability

conditions exist or if

appropriate responses

are not taken to reduce

the immediate losses

caused by the hazard.

On its own, the hazard

information tells us only

that a threat exists.

Likewise, on its own, the

livelihood vulnerability

information tells us only

how people normally

live. Separately, each set

of information does not

help decision makers

identify appropriate

actions to take in the

event of a hazard. But

together, these critical

sets of information can

help decision makers see

a powerful new picture

of the likely impact of

these hazards on differ-

ent people and places. ”

Atlas, p. 76

34 BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

known working group, theVulnerability AssessmentCommittee, is housed at SETSAN.

MIND’s contribution to SETSANhas been a continuous part of itswork. Early on, a FEWS NETvulnerability assessment specialistfrom Washington, D.C., andSETSAN conducted a baselineevaluation in the flood-affectedareas of the Limpopo Basin.Livelihood-based vulnerabilityanalysis helps reduce risk byidentifying relevant shocks fordifferent household types andgroups households according tolivelihoods instead of traditionalboundaries such as administrativeareas or food production zones.

Livelihood information is important for emergency anddevelopment strategists and practitioners because it can helpminimize the cost of emergenciesand maximize the benefits of

development. Human action cango a long way toward reducingthe impact and costs of hazardsthrough preparedness for identi-fiable threats and mitigationefforts to increase people’sresilience. SETSAN’s analysishighlights who will be mostaffected by what, which is criticalfor preparedness. SETSAN alsoidentifies ways to strengthenlivelihoods so people can betterwithstand the inevitable shocks.

The spirit of collaboration atSETSAN, its wide range of partners, and the leadership ofthe Government of Mozambiquehas attracted international attention. Missions from SierraLeone, South Africa, Zambia,and other countries have visited SETSAN to learn howMozambique has mobilized people and brought them togetherto create a public good.

Harvesting and processing canhu,an indigenous fruit used to make atraditional alcoholic drink, is animportant livelihood strategy insome rural areas.

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“ SETSAN has helped

WFP better prepare for

crises through its regular

monitoring of food

security conditions.

When a problem arises,

like the 2004/2005

drought,SETSAN and its

working groups provide

us with consistent infor-

mation reflecting the

consensus of stake-

holders.With this, we

are able to appeal to

donors for resources

and to target assistance

to the most needy. ”

ANGELA VAN RYNBACH,

WFP COUNTRY DIRECTOR

The Kariba Dam, one of theworld’s largest, is located on theZambezi River along the bordersof Zimbabwe and Zambia. Becausewater from the dam flows throughMozambique to reach the sea,decisions about water manage-ment at Kariba affect millions ofMozambicans. MIND took a groupof senior disaster managers fromgovernment, the UN, and SADC,and prominent journalists on astudy tour of the dam to buildunderstanding and communicationbetween dam managers and disaster officials.

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DAM TRIPFollowing the 2001 floods in theZambezi, some blamed the twomassive dams along the river,Kariba on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border and CahoraBassa in Tete Province ofMozambique, for contributing tothe severity of floods. To findout more about the role of inter-national river flows and upstreamdam management, MIND invited senior government officials from Mozambique’sNational Institutes for DisasterManagement, Water, andMeteorology; chief editors ofRadio Mozambique and Jornalde Notícias, a newspaper; the

World Food Program countrydirector; and a Southern AfricanDevelopment Community(SADC) Regional RemoteSensing Unit representative totour the Kariba and CahoraBassa dams. The delegates learnedabout operations and how damauthorities monitor seasonalweather forecasts to plan theirannual discharges. The tripopened a dialogue between thedam operators and Mozambicanwater and disaster authorities,and raised awareness of the consequences of water releasesupstream and the need for cross-border information sharingand cooperation.


36 BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

SEEING IS BELIEVING:PUNGUÉ FLY-OVERBringing people together to generate consensus can be power-ful, as a MIND-sponsored fact-finding mission to the PunguéRiver illustrates. MIND quicklyorganized a flight for eight repre-sentatives of major first-responderinstitutions to assess firsthand themagnitude of the flooding therein 2004. After the major floods of2000 and 2001, flood awarenesswas high. When the nationalnewspaper began a series of front-page articles about flooding onthe Pungué River, national andinternational agencies began tofear that another serious floodwas developing. Upon inspection,

these decision makers found thatthe situation was not the emer-gency portrayed by the media andjointly issued a press release sostating. The decision makers werethus able to calm fears and adjusttheir own institutions’ response toappropriate levels.

MAPPING DISASTER RISKSSince Mozambique is a countryprone to many types of naturaldisasters, most people have a generalnotion about which areas are vulnerable to flooding, cyclones,or droughts. But each agency had adifferent list of vulnerable districtsand no methodology had beendefined to categorize areas according

Edgy after the 2000 and 2001floods, the media exaggerated theseverity of flooding along thePungué River in 2004. MIND spon-sored a site visit for Mozambicanofficials to see for themselves thatthe “emergency” was overblown.

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to their risk. Instead of producingthe maps on its own, MINDhelped revitalize GAPSAN (EarlyWarning for Food Security andNutrition), a working group withinSETSAN. MIND broughtGAPSAN’s technical expertstogether to define methodologiesand create disaster risk maps foreach major hazard, plus one composite map showing overallrisks by district (above). The mapsnow belong to the entire disasterrisk assessment community inMozambique and can be used todirect disaster prevention and preparedness activities.

In 2004/2005, drought threatenedsouthern and central Mozambique.GAPSAN technicians analyzeddata and prioritized districts forin-depth field assessment by theVAC. VAC teams visited the districts of concern to estimate thenumber of people in need ofemergency assistance. The govern-ment and its partners then devel-oped response plans to meet thecritical needs. The SETSAN-ledprocess succeeded in generatingconsensus and producing credibleand timely information – a signif-icant improvement over the past.

Source: SETSANTechnical agencies came togetherunder SETSAN’s working groupfor early warning to create thiscomposite map, showing the districts with the highest level ofrisk from floods, droughts, andcyclones. Individual maps werecreated for each hazard and thencombined using GIS technology.A flood-risk map was created byoverlaying satellite images of inundated areas during differentmajor flood events.The droughtrisk map overlaid satellite imagesof vegetation during selecteddroughts; while the cyclone riskmap interpolated cyclone eventsover a 75-year period.

39NEXT STEPS

CHAPTER 6

NEXT STEPS

Disaster preparedness has pro-gressed immensely since the devastation of the 2000 floods.Human capacity exists, betterand more integrated informationis available, and partner coordi-nation under government leader-ship is stronger.

While the post-flood congres-sional funding for MIND hasended, USAID plans to continueto reduce the risk of disasters inMozambique under the FEWSNET project. Recognizing thatdisasters have the potential todisrupt gains made under itsimproving rural incomes objective,USAID has built risk reductioninto its 2004-2010 strategicplan. The following majoractions will build on progressmade thus far:

• Initiate RANET as a means toprovide vulnerable communitieswith direct, real-time access todisaster warnings, as well as anavenue for sharing importantinformation. Mozambique is alarge country with very poorcommunications, so RANETcould be a vehicle to improveinformation flows to isolated

rural communities. If RANETfulfills its potential, widespreadexpansion should be considered.Niger, one of the first RANET countries, now has75 stations, and many morecommunities have petitionedfor them.

• Continue to develop and disseminate flood and cyclonewarning systems. Additionalriver basins should be modeled,and river monitoring andcommunications systemsenhanced, so flood early warnings reach all communitiesin time. Public educationmust continue teaching aboutboth the flood and cycloneearly warning systems, andadditional partners should besought to enhance community-level training and preparednessplans.

• Develop additional packagesof integrated information fordisaster preparedness anddevelopment. Although variousorganizations have expressedinterest in producing atlasesfor other river basins and thedirector of the disaster agency

40 NEXT STEPS

has stated it as a priority, theamount of effort and costinvolved has limited progress.Given the knowledge andskills that now exist inMozambique, it would bepossible to produce a lesscomprehensive, but still useful, atlas requiring lessinput. The idea of Atlas “lite”has been floated and meritsserious consideration, giventhe positive impact of theLimpopo Atlas.

• Enhance SETSAN’s role tomaintain the momentum ofMIND in understandinglivelihoods, analyzing disaster

risks, and supporting respons-es that bolster Mozambique’sdevelopment. MIND hasfocused on rapid-onset disasterslike floods and cyclones butchronic malnutrition, one ofMozambique’s most vexingproblems, continues. Tacklingthis complex issue will requirea thorough understanding oflivelihoods and risks — bestaccomplished through thetype of collaboration, partner-ships, and capacity buildingthat were the hallmark of theMIND project.

Chronic malnutrition remains oneof Mozambique’s most seriousproblems. By applying lessonslearned under the MIND activityabout collaboration and capacitybuilding, food security partnersworking under SETSAN can help tackle this problem throughthe analysis of risks, vulnerability,and livelihoods.

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CD ROM INDEX

MIND FINAL REPORT ENGLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANNEX A

MIND FINAL REPORT PORTUGUESE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANNEX B

ANNUAL REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANNEX C

MAJOR CONSULTANCY REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANNEX D

LIMPOPO ATLAS PDFS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANNEX E

ÍNDICE CD ROM

RELATÓRIO FINAL DO MIND INGLÉS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANEXO A

RELATÓRIO FINAL DO MIND PORTUGUÊS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANEXO B

RELATÓRIOS ANNUAIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANEXO C

RELATÓRIOS SELECCIONADOS DOS CONSULTORES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANEXO D

LIMPOPO ATLAS PDF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANEXO E

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

MOZAMBIQUE MIND FINAL REPORT

CAPACITAÇÃO EM PREPARAÇAO CONTRA DESASTRES

RELATÓRIO FINAL DO MIND EM MOÇAMBIQUE

U.S.Agency for International DevelopmentJAT Complex

Rua 1231, no.41Maputo, MozambiqueTel: (258) 21 35 20 00Fax: (258) 21 35 21 00

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building capacity for disaster preparedness · disaster. the mind project applied the same approach...

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