The African Development Bank (ADB) has announced the purchase of 26 modular steel bridges to replace infrastructure destroyed in floods, cyclones and other natural disasters in Mozambique, the institution announced.
“The modular bridges should be installed in the coming months, after being awarded to local contractors,” and the aim is to “restore transport circulation in isolated regions of Manica, Sofala, Nampula and Cabo Delgado,” reads a statement consulted today by Lusa.
The ADB estimates that about 500,000 people will benefit from the initiative.
The modular steel bridges “have a useful life span of up to 100 years” and can be used as a “temporary solution in areas that are vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, while the government invests in permanent, climate resilient bridges,” it adds.
The bridges are funded under the Post-Cyclone Idai and Kenneth Emergency Resilience and Recovery Program, which two years ago slammed into Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, affecting some three million people in the three countries.
The program is being implemented over four years, ending in December 2023, with a total budget of $100 million (€84 million).
Funding was provided by the African Development Fund, the concessional arm of the African Development Bank group.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most affected by climate change in the world.
In the document ‘Strategy for Mozambique 2018-2022’, the AfDB identifies climate change as a key development challenge and has directed some $120 million (€101 million) to strengthen the country’s resilience.
