Deltares to develop Master Plan for Beira

With a population of more than 400,000, Beira is the second largest city in the country. It is located in the estuary of the Pungue River. The city faces numerous challenges in the years to come, and the Master Plan will set out an integrated vision for the city, describing how it can respond in the decades to come. This vision will be elaborated in detail in two follow-up plans.

Peter Letitre, Deltares’ project leader, described the challenges: “According to recent studies, Beira is seriously threatened by climate change. The city is just a few metres above sea level, and a clear adaptation strategy will have to be developed to provide enduring protection against the water. Beira also needs to make sure that it has adequate and safe supplies of water (particularly drinking water) in the future. In addition, changes are needed to the drainage and sewage systems to prevent the flooding of the city.

“There are also developments in the agricultural sector, such as the Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor (BAGC). Those developments will push up the demand for water, and affect the Pungue River and the delta.”

Spatial developments also need to be addressed. Peter Letitre said: “Tete province is home to intensive coal mining. The coal is transported via the Sena railway to the harbour of Beira for transhipment and export. There is a dedicated terminal in the harbour for coal. Preparations are in progress for expanding transhipment and export capacity to approximately 20 million tons a year. The expansion of the coal transport and export activities will have a major impact on the infrastructure and Beira. There is also a demand for the reclamation of new land. They need space for industrial activities, for new and improved housing, and for public facilities.”

Work on the Master Plan will start on 1 February 2013. The plan will be completed in October 2013. Two major follow-up plans will then be developed and final drafting of those plans is scheduled for late 2013.

By David Foxwell