ZAMVISÃO aims to improve water resilience, agricultural productivity, and economic development in Zambeziá province in Mozambique. A participatory design workshop guided by the Dutch Risk Reductions and Surge Support (DRRS) Team, brought together various national and regional stakeholders to create a vision for the future of the region. ZAMVISÃO integrates water management and spatial planning.

Zambeziá province has significant water-related issues, from frequent floods to periodic droughts. Extreme flooding events due to cyclones inundate urban areas, cause erosion and destroy the regional rice production. During dry seasons, some rivers and reservoirs dry up creating water scarcity for agricultural and drinking water purposes.

ZAMVISÃO’s regional vision integrates landscape interventions across four landscape types, the Upstream Hills, Along the Zambezi, Lowlands and Coast. In the landscape types interventions are proposed to prevent erosion and salinization, increase infiltration and mitigate flash flood risks. The proposed interventions simultaneously optimize water resources for agricultural productivity and natural and urban functions.

The urban centers of Mocuba and Quelimane are central to the regional economy. The cities are prone to erosion, flooding and drinking water scarcity. Besides awareness and preparing communities for future events, strategic resilient infrastructure and guiding urban development is crucial. An integral vision for both cities were made. The maps combine settlement-upgrading projects such as urban drainage systems and cyclone resilient housing, promoting affordable housing on safe sandy ridges and transit oriented development.

The implementation of ZAMVISÃO’s regional vision encompass various projects, ranging from mega to local scale. Crucial projects have been selected as ‘key resiliency projects’ such as Quelimane integral masterplan, regional dike improvement plan and community maintenance of drainage system. Discussing these with regional and national stakeholders will be a crucial next step in improving water resource management and resilient urban development in Zambeziá.