IDP Camps in Mozambique
These two panoramas show IDP camps in the lower Zambezi Valley in Mozambique, which was heavily affected by flooding in early 2007.
The Zambezi is the fourth largest river basin in Africa and drains water from parts of Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, as well as Mozambique. The annual average river flow is about 3,400 m³/s, with an average annual flood peak of about 7,000m³/s before the Kariba dam was built. Dry season flows were as low as 700m³/s. Flooding on the Zambezi has a long history, with major floods every five to ten years. Before the construction of the Kariba Dam in 1959, there was an annual flood in February or March. The new dam halted these annual floods. The lack of annual flooding encouraged encroachment on the fertile lowlands in the lower Zambezi.
The first small panorama shows an IDP camp in Caia on the South bank of the river. Most of the population of this camp are drawn from the low-lying lands on the banks of the Zambezi.
The panorama below shows an IDP camp in Mutarare district on the North bank of the river. Most of the inhabitants of this camp normally live on islands on the river. This high ground is a traditional refuge for the community. Because the land used for the camp had crops growing on it, their presence of the camp had to be negotiated with the leaders of the host community.
