Enhancing climate resilience in urban mobility in Matola

The Bus Rapid Transport system proposed for the Maputo Metropolitan Area (MMA) has the potential to transform MMA’s urban mobility. Improving accessibility to employment and social services can drastically improve the livelihoods of MMA residents. However, as MMA is hampered by frequent floods, it was critical to understand the associated flood risk and consider its impact on the cost-benefit analysis of the project and its commercial feasibility. The project was conducted into 2 phases. First, a preliminary hazard exposure screening of the BRT and the broader area considering today’s climate and future climate projections was conducted using a GIS-based Flood Hazard Index framework. The study identified critical sections of the BRT alignment that have high to very high hazard exposure and for which specific climate adaptation measures were. To go beyond strengthening the “resilience of” the project, the analysis integrated local social and economic indicators within the flood risk analysis to identify socially vulnerable areas within the MAA which will be most impacted if an extreme flood takes place.