The African Development Bank on May 28 in Marrakech, Morocco, granted a supplementary loan of US $33.213 million to the government of Mozambique for the rehabilitation of the country's Massinger Dam.
The funds will ensure effective sustainability of the Massingir Dam by preventing its collapse in the event of a heavy downpour.
The Massinger Dam is located in the Limpopo National Park and is part of the Great Limpopo Trans frontier Park, a breeding ground for Nile crocodiles. Its rehabilitation will directly benefit the communities living in the project area and help improve food production.
When completed and fully operational, the upgraded dam will also contribute to poverty reduction in the region by supplying water for irrigation to towns and villages further away. Rehabilitation of the dam will also increase its hydropower generation.
Signing the agreement, the Bank's Vice-President for Sector Operations, Aly Abou-Sabaa, said the rehabilitation of the dam fell within the Bank's strategy to support Africa's development through the funding of sustainable energy infrastructure. He said the project was a milestone in the collaboration between Mozambique and the AfDB.
Mozambique Minister of Planning and Development, Aiuba Cuerencia, expressed his country's gratitude to the Bank for its support to his country's development in general and in its infrastructure sector, in particular. Cuerencia is also a Governor of the African Development Bank.
