Mozambique: Lack of coordination undermines post-cyclone reconstruction – AIM

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Lack of coordination undermines post-cyclone reconstruction – AIM

5:11 CAT | 12 Aug 2021

Cyclone Idai

Mozambique’s Post-Cyclone Reconstruction Office (GRECOP) has pointed to constraints such as lack of coordination, the need to integrate project resilience and the diversity of procedures demanded by cooperation partners as the bottlenecks hindering reconstruction after tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth hit central and northern Mozambique in 2019, according to a report in Thursday issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”.

Addressing reporters on Wednesday in the central port City of Beira, GRECOP executive director, Luis Mandlate, said that 77 per cent of the 1.2 million US dollars assured by the cooperation partners are being used by the various agencies and that only 23 per cent of the amount is the under direct management of his office.

In certain cases, Mandlate pointed out, some NGOs begin building houses in the communities, but the architectural plans do not consider the issue of resilience, thus undermining the future of the houses as well as the lives of the occupants.

“The strict procedure to access the funds pledged by the cooperation partners compromises the effective progress of the reconstruction of the infrastructures, causing anxiety among the affected,” he said.

190,000 houses are to be rebuilt out of the 290,000 damaged by the cyclones in Sofala, Manica, Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces. The World Bank is providing funds to rebuild 15,000 of them.

GRECOP had to resort to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), the National Directorate of Water Resources and many other bodies to ensure appropriate screening of the 15,000 households, taking into account such criteria as their degree of vulnerability, and the safety of the area where they live.

The 15,000 households are mainly from Beira, and the Sofala districts of Buzi, Dondo and Nhamatanda in the central province of Sofala.

Mandlate is confident that the reconstruction of the houses will be concluded by mid 2024.

Source: AIM