Climate risks mapped for Mozambique and Zimbabwe

This assignment stems from the ambitious G-STIC project, which aims to address urgent climate-related challenges in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Both countries have experienced an alarming increase in natural disasters and extreme weather events in recent years. 

To guard against future climate hazards, they wanted to gather more information on floods and translate it into related risks. The main objective of this project is to support both countries in implementing their National Adaptation Programme of Action and Climate Change Strategies. 

After an initial, in-depth analysis, we noticed an urgent need for detailed information on future climate projections and natural hazards, information that is currently lacking. To design effective adaptation measures and mitigation strategies, it is crucial that decision-makers and local stakeholders have access to accurate, high-resolution climate information.

As advocates of an open science approach, we have developed an open source tool for the Buzi-Pungwe-Save land border catchments with the help of openLISEM. This tool serves to bridge and hopefully eventually eliminate the current knowledge and information gap. The flood maps form the basis for a risk analysis, which in turn can be the basis for a future effective warning system. This system focuses on the local community and provides essential information on potential climate hazards.

The G-STIC project also emphasises the importance of a multi-hazard perspective, taking into account the interlinkages between different natural hazards. In doing so, we aim to contribute to sustainable solutions to the challenges facing both countries and enable decision-makers and local stakeholders to design robust and future-proof adaptation measures.

In partnership with UNESCO, we are committed to providing crucial climate and hazard information to affected areas in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. We are also working closely with local stakeholders, government agencies and non-governmental organisations to ensure that the solutions we provide match the needs and realities of local communities. In addition to funding from the Flemish Government from the G-STIC climate action programme, the project can count on additional financial support from the Austrian Development Agency.