Climate change in Mozambique threatens the country on several fronts, as heavy storms and severe droughts hit the country with increasing regularity.
Due to high intensity and frequency, drought is the most devastating for the agriculture sector which employs more than 80% of the economically active population. The impacts are exacerbated by the limited availability of water for irrigation and livestock watering.
In its Technology Needs Assessment, Mozambique identified conservation agriculture and rainwater harvesting as key technologies for adaptation to climate change in the agriculture sector. Both technologies have the potential to improve production and strengthen resilience, benefitting a large portion of the population.
Informed by the Technology Needs Assessment and based on Mozambique’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), a comprehensive water-sector action plan was introduced in 2018 to increase water storage capacity by 30%.
This was followed by a successful national water programme that has so far:
- Provided clean drinking water to 1.7 million people, with
- 3.9 million additional people benefitting by 2024
Mozambique is also receiving support to further explore rainwater harvesting technologies based on the Technology Needs Assessment to help vulnerable communities living in southern and inland Mozambique.