Mozambique plans to fly drones across the country to watch for bad weather. The government shared this plan on Thursday. These flying machines will help spot storms early. This matters because weather disasters hurt many people there each year. Américo Muchanga, who runs the technology department, believes these tools can save lives.
Four drones will come from South Korea soon. One works just for training people. The others will map large areas during emergencies. These machines send back pictures right away, which helps rescue teams know where to go. The African Development Bank paid for this project. They want Mozambique to handle disasters better than before. Local weather experts will learn how to fly these machines starting next month.
Akposso Marcelle from the bank spoke about more than just new gadgets. She explained that the main goal remains keeping people safe. The project should start working about six months after the drones arrive in mid-May. This fits with other big plans Mozambique has made lately. Earlier this week, leaders announced a huge program worth millions to help people forced from their homes by storms and fighting.
Climate change hits Mozambique harder than most places. The country faces terrible floods every rainy season. Powerful storms called cyclones smash through homes and roads. Then, during dry times, the land cracks from lack of water. Just between December and March, three big cyclones hit the nation. These storms killed about 175 people and wrecked thousands of houses across northern and central areas.
The numbers tell a sad story about recent years. Government data shows that weather disasters killed at least 1,016 people between 2019 and 2023. Nearly five million citizens suffered some harm from these events. Making things worse, armed groups have been attacking people in the Cabo Delgado province since 2017. This oil-rich area faces growing violence. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies counts 349 deaths from extremist attacks just this year. That marks a jump of 36 percent from before. The drones might help track both natural disasters and human conflicts across the troubled nation.
Four drones will come from South Korea soon. One works just for training people. The others will map large areas during emergencies. These machines send back pictures right away, which helps rescue teams know where to go. The African Development Bank paid for this project. They want Mozambique to handle disasters better than before. Local weather experts will learn how to fly these machines starting next month.
Akposso Marcelle from the bank spoke about more than just new gadgets. She explained that the main goal remains keeping people safe. The project should start working about six months after the drones arrive in mid-May. This fits with other big plans Mozambique has made lately. Earlier this week, leaders announced a huge program worth millions to help people forced from their homes by storms and fighting.
Climate change hits Mozambique harder than most places. The country faces terrible floods every rainy season. Powerful storms called cyclones smash through homes and roads. Then, during dry times, the land cracks from lack of water. Just between December and March, three big cyclones hit the nation. These storms killed about 175 people and wrecked thousands of houses across northern and central areas.
The numbers tell a sad story about recent years. Government data shows that weather disasters killed at least 1,016 people between 2019 and 2023. Nearly five million citizens suffered some harm from these events. Making things worse, armed groups have been attacking people in the Cabo Delgado province since 2017. This oil-rich area faces growing violence. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies counts 349 deaths from extremist attacks just this year. That marks a jump of 36 percent from before. The drones might help track both natural disasters and human conflicts across the troubled nation.
