Estudo do impacto das cheias do ano 2001 nas práticas agrícolas e nos meios de sustento das famílias na região do Vale do Púngue

Abstract

At the beginning of 2001, the central region of the country was hit by the greatest historical flood since 1973, having flooded the Púngue river valley region, causing loss of human life, affecting large cultivated areas, water supply infrastructure, poles. electricity, housing and traffic on the EN6 for several times on the Mutua-Tica section. About 17,800 people corresponding to 4,041 families were affected and lost their cultures and other basic goods for human life, 3 people lost their lives, 9,355 people felt obliged to seek humanitarian aid in the resettlement centers in Jone Segredo and Mutua in Nhamatanda and Dondo districts respectively for several months. In order to understand the experience and capacities of the population in mitigating the negative effects of floods and in adopting survival strategies to face the flood periods, this study was carried out covering 56 heads of households in two administrative posts, namely Tica and Dondo belonging to the districts of Nhamatanda and Dondo respectively. The survival strategies mentioned by the households were: agriculture, gain-gain, business (of agricultural products, collection of forest products, traditional alcoholic beverages, and manufactured goods), fishing, humanitarian aid, sale of animals and donated products in the centres. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations including churches and individuals contributed to humanitarian aid during this period. The households faced with the floods took refuge in various places such as accommodation center, family home, railway, among other places for several months. From the point of view of gender, there were certain activities carried out more by women than by men to deal with the flood period.Women concentrated on almost all activities, although in some they were in small proportions.