Zambezi River Basin project presented

Luena , Luena – A project called Zambezi River Basin Initiative (IBRZ), designed to address matters associated with disasters, risks and floods caused by rains in Alto Zambeze district, eastern Moxico province, was presented Saturday in Luena by the Angola Red Cross (CVA). The project that will be funded by the International Red Cross (ICRC), will cover countries washed by the Zambezi river, namely Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The long term project will be implemented soon by CVA and is intended to put an end to the evils of natural disasters in the region, with stress to floods, thus avoiding death of people, material damages and destruction of social and economic infrastructures. The CVA provincial delegate, Alberto Issuamo Cauina, who presented the project, said the initiative will involve women, children and disadvantaged people to win a living, and opportunity for farming, fisheries, cattle breeding, primary health care, Hiv/aids prevention, water and sanitation, malaria, fauna and flora protection and other actions. Based on an evaluation of the vulnerability and capacity (VCAs) conducted in 2009 and 2010 at the headquarters of Alto Zambeze (Cazombo), the project concluded there is need for assistance to people, through an integrated project. To the CVA official, the aid will be part of the effort toward food security, fisheries, micro-finance, cattle breeding, water and basic sanitation, including resettlement of people living in situation of risk.  The Zambezi River Basin Initiatives follows a meeting held in August 2008, in Johannesburg, South Africa, by the National Societies of Southern Africa Red Cross, seeking responses to disasters and risks caused by the rains.