Mozambique Archbishop Blames Dam Management for Catastrophic Floods
Mozambique's struggle with dam management and its catastrophic floods are symptoms of a broader global trend. The failure to address the environmental and social impacts of large dams has become a pressing concern worldwide.
The case of Mozambique serves as a stark reminder of the need for greater accountability and governance in the management of transboundary water resources. As the International Committee of the Red Cross report highlighted, the Zambezi River basin is shared by multiple countries, including Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
The lack of cooperation and coordination among these nations has led to a series of environmental disasters, including the devastating floods in Mozambique. The situation in Mozambique also echoes concerns raised by other global reports on large dams.
Despite these findings, many dam projects continue to be built without adequate consideration for the impacts on local communities and the environment. Furthermore, Mozambique's experience highlights the importance of climate change adaptation and resilience in the management of transboundary water resources.
As sea levels rise and weather patterns become more extreme due to climate change, countries like Mozambique will need to develop robust strategies for managing these risks and protecting their communities. The international community has a critical role to play in supporting Mozambique's recovery efforts and promoting best practices in dam management.
This includes providing technical assistance, funding, and capacity-building support to help Mozambique develop more effective strategies for managing its water resources. The story of Mozambique's tumultuous relationship with its dams is one that echoes themes of dependency, exploitation, and disaster.
A 2019 report by the Environmental Impact Assessment Agency of Mozambique highlighted how inadequate infrastructure and management practices at several major dam projects on the Zambezi River posed significant risks to regional peace and development. The construction of large dams under questionable environmental and social standards has become a recurring theme in the nation's history.
The Portuguese colonization of Mozambique in the late 19th century sowed the seeds for a legacy of dependency, exploitation, and disaster. Mozambique's struggle with dam management is a microcosm of the continent's complex history, highlighting the need for greater cooperation and governance in managing transboundary water resources.
The B¼i River deluge, which ravaged Mozambique's coastal regions on February 7, 2026, was a stark reminder of the nation's long-standing struggle with dam management. The catastrophic floods were not a natural disaster, but a humanitarian crisis brought about by human error.
The B¼i River deluge left over 700,000 people stranded and 77,000 forced to flee into shelters, a stark contrast to the estimated 7 million people living along Mozambique's coast who are at risk from sea-level rise and coastal erosion. The dam's operators failed to address the issues raised by earlier reports, including one by the Environmental Impact Assessment Agency of Mozambique in 2019.
The disaster has sent shockwaves through Mozambican society, with many calling for greater accountability from those responsible for the dam's management. “This is a wake-up call for us,” said Maria Luísa Mendes, a local resident who lost her home in the floods.
Mozambique's experience serves as a wake-up call for the international community to reassess its approach to dam management. The country's struggle demonstrates that inadequate governance, environmental degradation, and social neglect can have catastrophic consequences.
To prevent similar disasters in the future, it is crucial to promote better practices in dam management, including improved transparency and accountability, enhanced cooperation among nations, climate change adaptation and resilience, and capacity-building and technical assistance. By learning from Mozambique's experience, we can work towards creating a more sustainable and equitable future for all nations. The fate of dam management hangs in the balance; it is time for us to take action and ensure that our actions are guided by the principles of justice, human rights, and environmental stewardship.