The central city of Beira requires US$450 million to mitigate devastating erosion as part of post‑cyclone reconstruction. Cyclone Idai devastated Beira in March 2019, leaving a trail of destruction across the city.
“The erosion is generating a great problem in the coastal zone of Beira, and many people fear that sea waters may invade the city in the near future,” said Augusto Manhoca, Beira’s Councillor for Construction and Urbanisation, as reported by the daily newspaper *Noticias* on 29 March. Manhoca added that the city is not sufficiently prepared to face extreme events. “We learned from Cyclone Idai that the power of nature cannot be underestimated. We must create a great capacity for resilience in our infrastructures,” he said.
As an emergency measure, the German Development Bank has disbursed €1 million to pave Mateus Sansão Muthemba Avenue in the coastal zone. The councillor also announced that construction of a coastal protection and drainage system, budgeted at US$60 million, will soon begin. “The project is funded by the World Bank and the German and Dutch governments. With the drainage system, storm‑water will be drained rapidly,” Manhoca explained.
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