Impacto da Barragem de Cahora Bassa na agricultura familiar no Vale do Baixo Zambeze, 1975-1997: estudo de caso do distrito de Caia

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the impact of the Cahora Bassa dam on family farming in the Lower Zambezi Valley in line with the preservation and sustainable management of natural resources in and/or associated with the Zambezi basin. The study covers the period between 1975 and 1997, focusing on the district of Caia. It also seeks to understand the extent to which the dam was able to accommodate the floods of the Zambezi and to what extent the hydrological change resulting from its commercial activity affected the riverside communities downstream. For peasants in the 'family sector', the “unpredictable” Zambezi floods are the main problem at the Cahora Bassa dam because they destroy seedbeds and/or food crops in the process of ripening. One of the benefits that the Portuguese colonial regime hoped to obtain from the Cahora Bassa dam would be the minimization of the damage caused by the Zambezi floods. However, this dam is not being operated for the latter purpose. To minimize the damage caused by the aforementioned dam, it would be important to re-establish a flow and sediment regime bringing them closer to the natural seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations of the Zambezi. The process would result in rapid ecological benefits with concomitant positive social impacts (TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)