Sharing of Recent Experiences from Mozambique with Tropical Cyclones IDAI and KENNETH

Mussa Mustafa, MSc. 

The Second Multi-Hazard Early Warning Conference

Early Warning and Early Action towards Sustainable,Resilient and Inclusive Societies

13 – 14 May, WMO Headquartes, Geneva, Switzerland

1. Background

Population: 28, 8 million (13,800,857 M/F 15,061,006) by 2017 cense.Natural resources: coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite.

Economy: GDP (ppp): $37.386 Billion (2017 est.)

2. Monitoring, Forecasting TC‐IDAI

Metop-B IR image on the 14th March at1848 UTC shortly before landfall. The redstar indicates the position of Beira.(Source: Eumetsat and Meteo-France)

2.1 Impacts of IDAI ‐ 04 to 16 March 2019

BuziDistrict

What do the colors mean?

Key Issues about IDAI

• The event was catastrophic• Community in low laying areas were caught without flood warnigs• There was no continge plan, no response capacity to deal with an event of that magnitude

• Response too slow

• Total breakdeown of services• Communication lines cut for 4 days with the affected areas• Power outage• Basic services (hospitals, water, etc

• No time to trigger local community emergency warning signals• No pre‐identified shelters where people can go for their safety• Etc

3. INTENSE TROPICAL CYCLONE KENNETH

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478.9

29.2

165.4

99.737.7

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1. Strengthening preparedness, response, recovery and rebuilding resilient infrastructures

• Rehabilitate, reconstruct, preparedness and response infrastructure (Emergency operation centers,  warehouses, schools, churches, CLGRC and other critical infrastructure such as communications infrastructure (internet, radios, sat etc) to strengthen communication and support coordinated preparedness actions between disaster management agency, NMHS at national and regional level to improve timings and efficiency of preparedness actions)

• Establishment of Search and Rescue Units

• Develop and update common response SOP at different scales of action: community, municipality, district, provinces and sectors

2. Immediate restoration of Early Warning capacities• Inventory and evaluation of the existing EWS (Early Waning and Early Action) in the affected region, including training to the local communities. 

• Immediate Installation of multi‐hazard EWS (new design required to fit with new SOPs and updated mapping systems) / technical recovery of affected flood and cyclone early warning systems.

• Updating of the Multi‐Hazard  risk maps and scenarios, assessing new exposure and vulnerabilities caused by the catastrophe.

• Establishment of an integrated national Multi‐hazard (flood, cyclone, heat Health, storm surge etc)  with detailed SOP in line with the DRR Master Plan 2017‐2030.

• Early Warning Early Action Protocols and Early Warning Systems(technology)

• Installation of multi‐hazard EWS (new design required to fit with new SOPsand updated mapping systems) – current system was not adequate for IDAI and future equivalent level Tropical Cyclones need to be prepared for.

3. Building institutional response resilience

• Develop a business/services/operations continuity plan for national and local  Multi Hazard Early Warning systems to ensure equipment is maintained and trainings are consistently delivered for continuity of effectiveness of preparedness and response systems, including a longer‐term capacity building strategy and plan. 

• Psychosocial support to the staff and volunteers involved in the disaster response and recovery actions.

• Multi Hazard Early Warning systems to ensure equipment is maintainedand trainings are consistently delivered for continuity of effectiveness of preparedness and response.

4. Strengthening Governance of the RRD system • Analysis of the situation of CLGRC, creation, strengthening and training of local committees in highly flood and cyclone exposed areas in the region (after updating of the flood and cyclone  scenarios).

• Definition and implementation of a short‐term policy reform strategy, in order to better improve  technical and operational capacities that require political decision making, including  regulations and standards for operation procedures for public, private and civil society organization  located in high flood and cyclone exposed areas.

• Regulation and updating of existing DRM legal and institutional framework, including the mandate of disaster management agency  and partner technical agencies – NMHS for clarity of roles and responsibilities to support efficient MHEWS and coherent messaging to the people its operational branches and national, regional and local level.