Mozambique

A4Labs aims to co-develop, test, share and compare with farmers and partners methodologies to create a reliable and sustainable source of water for agriculture in three semi-arid to arid regions of Sub-Sahara Africa, using water underlying dry river beds and upscale these methodologies for use at river basin scale while maintaining sustainable abstraction limits and minimising negative social and ecological consequences. They do so by developing experimental sites (“living labs”) where smallholder farmers, practitioners, agricultural extension officers, water engineers, students and private sector actors co-develop new (technological, agronomic, financial, market) approaches of accessing and using shallow groundwater for productive purposes, and evaluate the hydrological, social and economic effects and impacts. Co-learning will be institutionalised at the sites, and between the sites, through careful monitoring and evaluation by farmers and others, assisted by local students.

Learn more by visiting the project website

The AltWater project investigates ways to increase the self-reliance and sustainability of cities in the global South with regard to water supply by relieving pressure on traditional sources through the implementation of alternative water systems (for example rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, desalination) together with partner cities in Mozambique and Indonesia. The project aimed at improving local knowledge on current water supply systems and potential future changes and to provide new knowledge and expertise regarding the value and assessment of alternative water supply systems that are locally applicable. Additionally, the project sought to improve the capacities of the partner cities concerning assessing alternative water supply options for long-term strategic urban water supply planning and to improve the training capacities and network, with partners passing on knowledge by becoming the trainers of other trainers. 

Learn more by visiting the project website

SMALL is an innovative and interdisciplinary research for development project that focuses on water and sanitation management in small towns of Sub-Saharan Africa. The goal of this interdisciplinary research is to develop and facilitate the adoption of sustainable, efficient and equitable models for water supply and sanitation (WSS) service provision that suits the particular needs, capacities and dynamics of small towns in Uganda and Mozambique. The project worked towards local ownership and impact by ensuring that some of the outputs were immediately translated into practices, helped lead to a positive impact on the health of users in the long run.

Learn more by visiting the project website

This project provides the opportunity to put Dengue on the Mozambican agenda as the disease has been considered inexistent for too long, due to its status as a neglected disease. Research and data provision are thus key to influencing policies to fight dengue in the periphery of great urban centers. This project aims to understand the social and water quality dynamics for the outbreaks and spread of dengue in Mozambique, and has three main objectives. Firstly, it aims to explore the interdependence between intermittent water supply, deficient sanitation (specifically solid waste management problems), and dengue. Secondly, it focuses on households on the periphery of Maputo and Pemba cities to identify the people in households that are more vulnerable to the disease. Finally, it will document the distinct techniques of water storage and reasons that lead households to continue storing water. It aims to inform and document politics and practice, not only in what concerns the government’s treatment of dengue outbreaks, but also regarding water reforms and water supply providers.

Learn more by visiting the project website

This project aims to address the most widespread problem linked to groundwater exploitation in heavily populated coastal aquifers, namely that of saltwater intrusion. Uncontrolled exploration of such groundwater bodies by large water users leads to groundwater quality problems that directly affect domestic supply and crop productivity. Within this project, guidelines for groundwater exploitation and managed aquifer recharge are being developed for the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and the Great Maputo Aquifer in Mozambique. Project outcomes are expected to have major impacts through shifts towards more sustainable pumping practices of the coastal aquifers, optimized participatory groundwater salinity monitoring, information-based groundwater resources management, and facilitated adoption of measures that, through their implementation, will contribute to improving water security and related socio-economic conditions.

Learn more by visiting the project website

This project is led by Instituto Superior Politecnico De Gaza (ISPG), and implemented in collaboration with NUST/Dabane Trust Zimbabwe, Acacia Water and IHE Delft. The project researches irrigation management and agro-economic practices to contribute to the empowerment of women and youth to participate in local socio-economic development and enhance food security in the Limpopo basin in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. In doing so, the project aims to contribute to more inclusive and resilient livelihoods based on individual irrigated farming through increased understanding of the dynamic role, challenges and opportunities for men, women, poor and youth in individual irrigated farming from a socio-technical perspective. It consists of research and co-development with farming communities, in matters of land and water management, food production and accessing markets. The project aims to characterize differentiated farmers and co-development of adaptations for sustainable use of alluvial aquifers, and implements learning and dissemination pathways.

Learn more by reaching out to Sérgio Ponguane ([email protected]).