Overview
Access to water is also limited, and poverty is prevalent. The Government of Mozambique (GoM) identified the need for resilient solutions to minimize the impacts of hydrological variability within the Limpopo basin, build sustainable livelihoods and provide reliable access to water for the population.
The Challenges
Pegasys was appointed to strengthen the ability of the lower Limpopo basin in Mozambique to cope with current and future hydrological variability, through the identification and prioritisation of water projects and their structuring to enable financing.
Mapai Dam was proposed as an important large intervention for flood control in the lower Limpopo. A feasibility study was initiated and Pegasys was appointed to support GoM to review the technical studies and ensure robustness of the analysis to climate change as well as ensure that the benefits of such a large investment could be leveraged through other projects in the region.
The Solution
Pegasys’ approach to building resilience in the Limpopo Basin was to identify water resources-related risks faced by key economic sectors as a result of climate related impacts. This included an overview of population, as well as the socio-economic characteristics of the basin, and overlay these with the expected impacts of a changing climate. This vulnerability assessment provided the basis from which to develop the climate resilience strategy, linking Mapai and potential interventions throughout the region.
Projects were identified and evaluated in terms of their contribution to resilience of the population and regional economy against climate risks, considering other factors such as gender-inclusion, readiness to implement and alignment with government objectives. It is important to tackle these types of projects linked to a large investment in a coherent and integrated manner, so as to maximise the benefits to the widest range of stakeholders, including the most marginalised.
Using climate change projections and their hydrologic impacts, enabled the Mapai Dam feasibility study to consider climate risk and vulnerability of downstream communities and agriculture. It also benefited the multi-purpose nature of the Dam, with flood control, water supply and hydropower generation. Finally, various financing options were explored to support the potential implementation for Mapai Dam.
Results
By conducting a vulnerability assessment of the different regions of the basin, and also evaluating the existing capacity to cope with (or adapt to) hydrological variability and climate related risks, we identified the vulnerable sectors along the different regions.
Subsequently, Pegasys developed a set of interventions that build resilience in each of the different regions of the basin. The priority interventions, which were housed in a climate strategy, were deemed as optimal and resilient solutions to building socio-economic resilience, in the context of future climate projections.
The Numbers
This project began as an exercise to support the Mapai Dam, and the ARA-Sul project feasibility study team as they sought to integrate climate considerations into project development. Throughout, we looked at ways to ensure climate change science informs the planning process to improve resilience. Ultimately, we understood that climate resilience must be part of project conception to be most effective, and indeed, climate funding can influence infrastructure development to contribute to building broader climate resilience.
Guy Pegram, Director
