In Mozambique, the Deputy Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Cecilia Chamutota, has inaugurated the Mpengo dam in Manica province. The new dam supplies 100,000 m3 of water a day to communities and institutions.
A new dam is providing drinking water and irrigation for the people of Mpengo, one of the villages in the Mussurize district, in Mozambique’s Manica province. The reservoir was inaugurated on 26 May 2023 by the Mozambican Deputy Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Cecilia Chamutota.
The facility has a storage capacity of 12,000 m3. This raw water will shortly be used to supply drinking water to local residents and institutions, as well as watering animals and irrigating farms in Mpengo. The Mpengo dam is capable of supplying 100,000 m3 of water per day.
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“Around 5,000 people will benefit from this project, as well as 500 head of cattle and goats. The water will also be used to irrigate almost 100 hectares of farmland, thereby promoting socio-economic development in the province of Manica”, says Cecilia Chamutota, Mozambique’s Deputy Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources.
Construction of 20 small dams in Mozambique
As well as improving the water supply, the aim is to improve agricultural yields and cattle rearing for food security. For the record, agriculture and livestock farming provide a livelihood for the majority of the inhabitants of Mpengo and the surrounding villages.
The Mpengo dam is one of a series of 20 small dams with centrally-excavated reservoirs planned as part of the Mozambican government’s five-year programme (2020-2024) to improve water supplies for Mozambicans. The initiative covers the provinces of Manica, Sofala and Tete.
Inès Magoum
