Mozambique is one of the 30 priority countries for the EW4All initiative launched by the United Nations in 2022. Meteorological and climatic emergencies are unfortunately recurrent in the country, causing human suffering, economic damage, and environmental degradation. Especially in a context of climate crisis, it is crucial to anticipate, prepare for, and respond promptly to the impacts of extreme hydro-meteorological events such as cyclones, floods, and droughts. Early Warning Systems (EWS) play a fundamental role in this context.
For this reason, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Fondazione CIMA, the Italian Civil Protection, and the NGO WeWorld have joined forces to support INGD – Instituto Nacional de Gestão e Redução do Risco de Desastres in its journey to strengthen early warning capacities through the reorganization of the legal framework and the implementation of dedicated projects such as Ready2Act. There is still a need to continue strengthening, institutionalizing, and decentralizing the national warning system, allowing civil protection to make decisions based on scientifically-based risk information. Thanks to the Italian Embassy in Mozambique and AICS Maputo, which facilitated the connection between the Italian and Mozambican civil protection systems, and the local knowledge of the NGO WeWorld, with whom CIMA has collaborated for years on Disaster Risk Reduction in Mozambique, a technology transfer and training initiative has been defined to contribute in this direction. Ready2Act, led by Fondazione CIMA, represents the first practical step in the shared intent and vision of Mozambique and Italy on civil protection.
On June 18th and 19th, the first national seminar has been held in Maputo, where activities on Early Warning and Disaster Preparedness carried out in Mozambique by local institutes and international agencies will be shared. The event represents an opportunity for dialogue on the need to strengthen multisectoral and multilevel coordination in the various phases of prevention, preparedness, and response.
In addition to the aforementioned project partners, Luca Ferraris, President of Fondazione CIMA, Luigi D’Angelo, Operational Director for Emergency Coordination of the Italian Civil Protection Department, Gianni Bardini, the Italian Ambassador to Mozambique, Gabriel Belem Monteiro, Vice President of INGD, and representatives of WeWorld, DNGRH – Direcção Nacional de Gestão de Recursos Hídricos, INAM – Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia, various UN agencies led by UNDRR, the African Union Commission, and other participants representing relevant institutions involved in Disaster Risk Reduction in Mozambique will attend in Maputo.
“The collaboration with Mozambique began in 2015, where we contributed scientifically on the flood component in the development of a first country risk profile. In 2020, we worked with WeWorld on disaster risk reduction activities in the provinces of Manica and Cabo Delgado, initiating a fruitful dialogue with the Mozambican Civil Protection Institute (INGD) together with the Italian Civil Protection Department, which led to the definition of the Ready2Act project,” says Luca Ferraris, President of Fondazione CIMA. “I would like to thank the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, which has facilitated and propelled this dialogue, financing the initiative and framing it within the Italian commitment at the continental level on issues of disaster preparedness and response, including the AMHEWAS initiative carried out with UNDRR and the African Union.”
“Since 2020, AICS has focused on Early Warning and Early Action. During COP28, we reiterated our commitment to the disaster risk reduction sector by adhering to the ‘Getting Ahead of Disasters’ Charter, and additionally, at our request, the following phrase was added to the OECD DAC Outcome Document on Climate Action and Finance in Fragile and Conflict-affected Contexts: ‘We recognize that for most fragile contexts, and those facing conflicts, addressing these realities will require working through the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, integrating activities to strengthen climate resilience and adaptation, conflict prevention, humanitarian aid, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), including anticipatory action, and other policy priorities as needed,'” says Paolo Enrico Sertoli, director of the AICS office in Maputo. “In line with the Italian global commitment, AICS Maputo supports the Ready2Act project aimed at improving the existing multi-hazard early warning systems in the country, which can minimize damage to material goods and save human lives through timely and prepared action in the face of potentially disastrous natural events, which Mozambique often experiences. I also emphasize that the project will be implemented by Fondazione CIMA, which has long worked in Mozambique, and we carry out various similar projects together on the African continent, as well as the added value provided by the technical assistance of the Italian Civil Protection Department and the decade-long local experience of the NGO WeWorld. Finally, I express gratitude for the partnership with the Mozambican Civil Protection Institute (INGD) which has shown great trust by entrusting us with the improvement of the national early warning system.”
“Even today we remember the dramatic passage of tropical cyclone Idai in Mozambique in March 2019, which caused violent floods and the loss of over 600 lives. On that occasion, the Civil Protection Department, responding to the call for help from the Maputo authorities, coordinated the deployment and operation of an Advanced Medical Post and a health team in Beira,” adds Luigi D’Angelo, Operational Director for Emergency Coordination for DPC. “Today, however, we are happy to support Mozambique in strengthening its monitoring, forecasting, and warning capacities, as well as in preparing for and responding to natural disasters. Doing Civil Protection means teamwork, and our participation in this project once again highlights the importance of prevention and planning, especially in a general context that unfortunately continues to record a constant increase in extreme weather events.”
